Starting Over
by Ms Monypeny
Summary: S/U fic...Usagi has run away from the future that she knows and desguised herself from the rest of the world. When a friend senses the brightness of her star, can she bring her back to the world they have known? FINISHED!
1. one

I obviously don't own Sailor Moon or anything to do with her. *pouts * You had to go and remind me didn't you? Please don't sue me. I already don't have time enough to do everything I want, I'd hate to waste it in court! ^_~  
  
:::Starting Over:::  
  
Regret, that is something she knows a lot about.  The word seems to sum up her entire life.  Her old life that is.  There was no longer a Usagi Tsukino any more.  Now there was only him.  Minako was telling Makoto and Rei a joke.  Usagi couldn't hear what she was saying but could tell from her hand motions what she was trying to do.  
  
The others hadn't noticed her and even if they did they wouldn't have recognized her.  About a year ago is when the change came about.  Setsuna was telling Mamoru and Usagi about Chibi-Usa being born.  In the future they could not risk losing Neo Queen Serenity if anything should go wrong during childbirth so they created a child through genetic engineering.  Chibi-Usa was test-tube baby.  
  
This is what set Usagi's mind into motion.  All of those years of being trapped by destiny and for what?  The only thing that had been holding her back and down was the fact that she and Mamoru had to stay together for the sake of giving birth to Chibi-Usa.  Now she knew that she wasn't needed to produce this child that everyone had grown to love.   
  
She didn't love Mamoru, she hadn't for a long time now.  They were going to force her to marry him no matter what she said in protest.  Spending the rest of her life making a man she cared nothing about happy.  Was this to be her fate?  No, she would make her own destiny.  She would be able to live the life that she had always dreamt of, away from Mamoru and senshi business.  
  
Usagi knew that the senshi would be disappointed in her and try to sway her decision back to Mamoru but she would not allow them to.  So she left without a trace.  She became some one else, a stranger.  To make sure that no one would ever be able to find her, not even Luna she disguised herself.  Using her disguise pen she changed herself into a man and lived on in this form.  
  
Being a man was strange at first but she got used to it.  She assumed the name Kenada Hoshi and became a banking businessman.  He was actually quite successful.  Every now and again he would stop by and check up on the senshi.   
  
When Usagi first left without a trace Kenada watched the agony that the senshi went through but thought that they would soon forget.  After a while the senshi didn't talk about Usagi any more.  At least not to one another, and appeared to have resumed their everyday lives.   
  
Kenada had been feeling very lonely for the past year, he had never been by himself before and didn't like the feeling.  But this was independence and he wouldn't trade it in for anything.  Still, there was something missing in his life and he knew that he would never be able to fill that void.  
  
Haruka and Michiru came up behind Ami who was silently watching Minako's 'show' that she was putting on while telling this joke.  Kenada just watched the scene in front of him and began to remember the good times that he used to have with these girls.  His thoughts were however broken by the arrival of four new girls that weren't usually with them.  
  
The Starlights and Princess Kakyuu.  Kenada recognized them immediately even though they were in their female forms.  
  
"So you decided to stay after all?"  Ami asks the four.  
  
"Yes, we will be staying on Earth.  Mamoru. errr. I mean Prince Endymion said that we are more than welcome here."  Taiki states her eyes denoting a hint of sadness.  Ami knew what it was.  The Starlights were to be women on Earth and Taiki knew that Ami wouldn't be attracted to a woman so his hope of his love was lost.  
  
"That's great, we can hang out just like old times!"  Minako was being her usual bubbly self.  Yaten silently thanked Kakyuu for insisting that they be women on Earth so she didn't have to deal with Minako constantly all over her.  
  
'Old times.'  Seiya began to think about the times that they had spent on Earth so long ago.  Things could never be just like that now that she was gone.  'Odango, where are you?'  Seiya's face must have shown the hurt that she was feeling because Rei gave her a knowing nod.  
  
"We'll see her again one day."  Rei said addressing Seiya.  The mood of the group grew somber.  
  
Kenada couldn't help but stare at her.  He felt himself longing for the friendship that Seiya had once shown him, or rather Usagi.  He felt so secure, so happy when he was with Seiya.  
  
Seiya's head picked up as her eyes began to scan the area around them.  'I feel it.  The strong brightness of a star.'  She thought to herself.  It wasn't coming from the group of people that she was with, no this was a very bright star.  The aura felt almost like. 'Stop it, you're willing yourself to feel her.'  Seiya mentally cursed herself.  Her sights fell on a man in the distance.  He was staring right at her.  She knew this was coming from him.  
  
"Seiya what are you doing?  It's time to go."  Yaten touched her arm bringing her out of her daze.  "We have reservations."   
  
"Gomen, but please excuse me, I have to do something."  Seiya turned to her three companions.  She broke from Yaten's hold and turned back around to where the man had been standing.  He was gone.  'No.  I have to find that guy.'  
  
Seiya took off in the direction that the man must have left in.  She caught up with him easily and followed him back to his apartment.  When the man entered the apartment Seiya snuck around the side to look into the window of the street level apartment.  She saw the man walk in and fall to his knees.  He was crying.  'Why on Earth is he crying?'  Seiya felt bad for him.  
  
After regaining his composure the man stands and collects a bag from the closet that appears to be an ordinary book bag.  He picks up his keys that he had left on the floor beside him and left the apartment.  Seiya took this as her chance to learn a bit more about this man.  She carefully slipped into the apartment through an open window when she knew he was gone.  
  
The apartment was clean with a few odds and ends thrown about.  The furniture and décor of the place was nothing out of the ordinary and not unusual for a batchler's apartment.  Seiya figured that if he was hiding anything that it would be in the bedroom.  She made her way down the hall and when she entered the one bedroom of the apartment she saw a comforter with little bunnies and moons on it.  She had remembered that Usagi had the same one.  It hurt remembering her.  
  
She began to search through his draws.  The very first draw that she checked held something that she had not expected.  It was Eternal Sailor Moon's broach.  When she picked it up she noticed pictures under it.  As she flipped through the pictures she saw all of the senshi and Usagi hanging out.  What was this man doing with these personal items?  Did he take her Odango?  These questions and more made their presence known in her head.   
  
The lock on the door sounded and she knew that he was home.  Seiya quickly slipped back out the window leaving everything the way that she had found it.  If this guy had taken Usagi then maybe she was still alive.  She would find her.  
  
Night fell soon after Seiya arrived home.  The others asked where she has been and she replied with a nonchalant answer of 'nowhere'.  
  
Seiya lays down to sleep, her thoughts consuming her entire being.  'I will find you Odango, and this time I will keep you safe.'  Her thoughts were once again interrupted by a noise.  Seiya sat up quickly in her bed and looked in the direction that the noise had come from.  
  
A woman's form stood in front of her window in the moonlight.  Her hair was flowing along side her filled with the glistening silver light of the moon.  "Odango."  Seiya said as she shifted to get up.  
  
Usagi saw that she was trying to approach her.  "I'm sorry. I have to go."  With these last words she disappears out the window.  
  
'Was she a ghost?. No!  She was real!'  Seiya couldn't sleep at all for the rest of the night.  
  
The morning came and Seiya got dressed and tore out of the apartment belonging to the lights and Kakyuu.  She hurriedly made her way to the man's apartment from yesterday.  She was going to get some answers.  
  
Kenada had just woken up and was making himself some tea when he heard a pounding at his door.  This was way more fierce than a simple knock and it almost made him scared to answer it.  He was in a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt.  "I'm coming!"  He shouted at the guest on the other side of the door.  
  
The door opened to reveal a black haired woman that he recognized as Seiya.  Seiya grabbed Kenada by the collar and quickly threw him inside letting herself in in the process.  "What did you do to her!"  She shouted at him when the door shut.  
  
"Who?  Who are you talking about?  What do you want?"  Kenada asked from his position on the floor.  He knew very well who she was referring to but had no idea how she had connected the two.  
  
Seiya crossed the room to come up over top of him.  She looked down with a fire in her eyes that could have burned hole right through him.  "You took her and I want her back!  Where is Usagi!"  She had grabbed him by the throat in the process and picked him up to his feet.  
  
'God she's strong.'  Usagi thought to herself.  "I don't know who you're talking about?"  He played dumb hoping that she would just go away.  
  
Seiya shook him violently.  "You don't know do you?!"  A sarcastic tone crossed her lips.  She drug Kenada down the hallway towards the bedroom.  She threw him on the floor face first as she made her way over to the dresser.  "Where did you get this!"  She held Eternal Sailor Moon's broach out so that he could see it.  
  
Kenada gasped.  "I found it."  He blurted out.  
  
Seiya came over and kicked him very hard in the stomach making him let out an oomph sound.  "Don't lie to me."  Kenada had never seen Seiya this angry before.  She once again picked Kenada up by the neck and looked him straight in the eyes while almost strangling the life out of him.  "I'll ask you one more time.  What did you do with her?!"  She asked through clenched teeth with determined eyes.  
  
"She's gone, she's never coming back."  Tears formed in Kenada's eyes as he spoke these words.  
  
"I'll kill you for what you did to her!"  Seiya's grip on his neck tightened and he began to loose consciousness.  His hands came up to grab hers.  He tried to pry his neck free to allow the air to once again pass through to his lungs.  His attempts became desperate and he clawed at her hands and thought the end was near.  
  
"Seiya."  Kenada choked out.   
  
With this Seiya's grip loosened and he fell to the floor.  "How did you know my name?"  She looked in amazement at the man below her.  She bent down beside him and took him by the collar this time and pulled him closer to her.  "HOW did you know my NAME?"  She asked again, this time with more force.  
  
Kenada closed his eyes and began to glow.  Seiya released her hold on him as he did so.  When he opened his eyes again he was now Usagi.  Usagi quickly turned her head away from Seiya's face and looked down at the floor next to her.  
  
"Odango?."  Seiya said and without a moment's hesitation she encased the smaller girl in her arms.  "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I'd never hurt you. I'm so sorry."  Was all that Seiya said as she held Usagi tight and closed her eyes for fear of crying.  "Why did you do all of this?"  
  
Usagi freed herself from her hold and looked her in the face this time.  "I couldn't do it.  I couldn't live that way.  So I left. and this is what I became."  She looked down at herself and around the room.  "I didn't tell anyone, not even my family.  You are the only one that knows.."  She looked down into her lap.  "I'm a disgrace."  
  
"No, no you're not Odango.  Why did you live here all alone all of this time.  Why didn't you just tell them that you didn't want that?"   
  
"I'm weak, and I betrayed them all by leaving.  They wouldn't have understood and they would have forced me to follow my destiny.  I guess I was just being selfish but it was like a prison.  Only this prison had no walls to hold me in, I was bound by duty and responsibility which I did not want."  Usagi began crying.  "I can't face them."  
  
Seiya didn't know what to say, she took her up in her arms again.  Usagi relaxed a bit at her touch and cried into her chest.  "Was that you in my room last night?  I thought I had seen a ghost."  
  
Usagi nodded her head.  "I saw you with the others yesterday in the park and wanted to see you again.  I actually couldn't stop myself from seeing you."  She let out a small chuckle.  
  
"Odango, it almost killed me when we came back and they told me that you were gone.  They have no idea what happened to you, they've searched for the past year and a half looking for you."  Seiya rocked her gently.  "We are living here on Earth now."  
  
Usagi felt herself smile, something she hadn't done in so long.  "Will you come and visit me?"  She asked shyly.  
  
Seiya pulled her off of her chest and gave her a half eyed expression.  "You couldn't keep me away!  I would love to see you anytime."  Her expression softened into one of concern.  "Can I tell the others that I've found you?"  
  
"No.  Please don't.  I like my new life and I wish to continue to live in peace.  Please don't tell anyone who I really am."  She said as she changed back in to Kenada.  "Can we just keep it between us?"  
  
Seiya nodded in agreement.  She didn't care under what conditions she could see her Odango only that she could.  "You know, I can introduce you to them this way.  You guys can become friends all over again.  What do you call yourself anyway?"  She asked.  
  
"Kenada, Kenada Hoshi."  He replied.  "Maybe that would be fun.  I don't want to do it right now though."  
  
"Yeah, we can pretend that you're my boyfriend!"  Seiya exclaimed thinking of a way to introduce him.  
  
"Your boyfriend?"  Kenada seemed confused.  "You want them to think you're gay?"  He asked.  
  
"Odango, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a girl.  A girl wouldn't be gay if she had a boyfriend.  We're all girls now.  We always have been, the only reason we were guys when we came here last time was to find our princess."   
  
"Oh yeah."  Kenada blushed.  'Who would have ever thought that I would have a girlfriend?'  
  
Seiya and Kenada continued to meet together.  Seiya told everyone that she was going to see her new boyfriend.  Everyone was especially impressed to see how quickly she got over Usagi.  (Little did they know!)  Kenada and Seiya grew to be very good friends and they trusted one another completely.  
  
"Do you feel comfortable now?"  Seiya asked Kenada as they were sitting on the couch of Kenada's apartment.  Seiya had pretty much moved in there to keep him company.  "Will you come and see them?"  
  
"I don't know?"  Kenada replied while looking out the window.  It was a cold rainy fall day.  The colors outside were beautiful although they reflected the dreary rain.  
  
"I would like to be able to hang out with you and everyone else at the same time."  Seiya paused as she looked at Kenada.  "Besides, everyone wants to meet my new boyfriend."  
  
Kenada had a small laugh at this.  "Oh really."  
  
"Yeah they're all impressed at how quickly I got over you."  She smiled.  
  
Kenada turned his head sharply and looked her straight in the eye.  "What are you talking about?"  
  
Seiya realized that even after all of these years Usagi/Kenada still hadn't figured it out.  A smile crossed her lips.  "Odango."  She hadn't used that name in a long time now.  "I fell in love with a girl named Usagi Tsukino, you, and was never the same.  When I returned home to my planet I was lost.  I was hurt because you didn't love me back and I loved you so much but knew that I could never be with you.  I had tried to tell you before, but you didn't seem to want to hear it."  
  
Kenada felt tears coming to his eyes.  "You loved me?. and I never knew?.I'm sorry."  He stumbled out.  
  
"No, I didn't love you."  The statement brought Kenada's attention back to Seiya's face.  "I DO love you."  She smiled at him as she put her hand up to his face.  "I will always love you."  
  
Kenada felt himself leaning forward, toward her.  Contact.  His lips brushed hers and were soon full against each other.  The kiss was warm and sweet but conveyed the love that one another felt for each other.  When they broke away their blue eyes were locked.  "I love you too, Seiya." 


	2. two

Hello again everyone.  This is my warning for the rest of the story.  I'm going to have to give this fic a rating now, nc17 probably.  No, there's nothing graphic in here but there are some, how should I say, adult situations.  If you feel that your mind has been warped in any way don't come crying to me because I warned you!  
  
Part II  
  
"So we finally get to meet your alleged boyfriend today huh?"  Yaten poked at her ribs.  
  
"Cut it out.  You'd better be nice to him or I'll knock you out!"  Seiya threatened while she combed her hair.  
  
Seiya had been seeing this guy (so they thought) for almost a year now and would never let any of them meet him.  They decided that they would all go out to dinner tonight and invite him along. (Kakyuu, Taiki, Yaten, Seiya and Kenada)  
  
"I can't believe you're going to wear that color eye shadow!  Are you trying to scare him away!"  Yaten laughed at Seiya's make up job.  (It really didn't look bad.)  
  
"You know, I don't think a black eye will match that dress you're wearing out tonight now will it!"  A threatening fist was shook in her face.  Yaten took this as her cue to back off.  
  
"Do you think that he's going to feel awkward being the only guy going out tonight?"  Taiki asked as she came into the bathroom.  
  
"Shut up!  We know you're just looking for an excuse to transform into a guy!"  Yaten teased.  
  
"Don't you have anything else better to do?"  Taiki looked down on her.  As usual the two taller girls were aggravated with their companion.  Yaten walked out of the bathroom in a huff.  
  
"I think she's just jealous."  Seiya said returning to the mirror to put her lipstick on.  "I know that he won't feel too uncomfortable around you guys, after all, I've told him so much about all of you."  
  
"Seiya, you didn't tell him EVERYTHING did you?"  Taiki grew a little concerned.  She remembered how Seiya had tried to tell Usagi everything when he fell in love with her.  Thinking about Usagi again always made his heart sink a little.  They all missed her.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know!"  She smiled back at her brown hair questioner.  "Come on, what do you think I did walk up to him and say 'hi, how are you, I'm an alien and a sailor senshi!'  I don't think so!"  Seiya laughed a bit at herself.  She had been in such a good mood lately.  'I wonder if they'll be able to sense Usagi's star seed in Kenada?'  Seiya thought to herself as she stopped what she was doing.  
  
"You're never going to finish that way!"  Yaten poked her head in and noticed Seiya staring in the mirror.  Seiya's lipstick flew past Yaten's face barely missing her.  "Ha!  Your aim is off, you're loosing it!"  
  
Seiya ignored the comment and walked out of the bathroom.  The doorbell sounded right on time and Seiya walked to the door to greet her guest.  "Hello Kenada, come on in."  
  
Kenada walked in and gave Seiya a kiss as a greeting.  "Sorry if I'm late, I had a little trouble with traffic."  He smiled as he took off his jacket.  
  
"No, you're not late don't worry about it."  Seiya smiled at him.  She remembered how hard it was to convince him to come.  She had explained it to him this way, she could work her way up to meeting her old friends by practicing on the Lights.  Kenada was still skeptical but went along with it anyway.  
  
When the two turned around they noticed three mouths dropped to the floor hung wide open.  "Uh. hi nice to meet you."  Kenada said hesitantly as he waved.  
  
Seiya put her hand up in front of her face in embarrassment, or so they would have thought, she was actually trying very hard not to laugh.  "Did you guys forget that you had manners?"  She mumbled and Kenada laughed.  
  
One by one they came forward and Seiya 'introduced' them.  First was Kakyuu, she was very polite and reserved.  Second was Taiki who was impressed at how well Seiya had done for herself. And last but certainly not least was Yaten.  Yaten blushed furiously while shaking Kenada's hand and gazed helplessly into his eyes.  She made it no secret that she was quite taken by him.  "Now you know why I wouldn't let you meet him earlier."  Seiya said shoving Yaten out of the way with her hip.   
  
Kenada once again laughed at the whole situation.  "Well are we ready?"  He said looking around and then getting the door for the 'ladies'.  
  
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"So how was it?"  Seiya asked after they dropped the others off.  "See it wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be."  The car was dark except for the occasional streetlight that flashed through the windows.  
  
"No it wasn't too bad."  Kenada kept driving but laughed inspite himself.  "It was good to see them again, actually I'm not so sure about Yaten."  
  
Seiya smirked a bit at this comment.  "You're the only person that I've ever seen Yaten throw herself at like that.  You should take it as a compliment!"  She laughed a bit more.  
  
The car sped on and a comfortable silence filled the air until Kenada broke it.  "I don't know if I'm ready to see the others yet.  That was hard.  Seeing them again. I don't know how I'd react. I'd probably have a nervous breakdown!"  
  
"No you won't.  You'll be fine.  I'm here for you."  Seiya looked over and smiled at him.  "I'll always be here for you."  Seiya's hand found it's way to Kenada's leg and rested there.  
  
Kenada felt his muscle tighten a bit at her touch but said nothing, only looked at her.  Seiya withdrew her hand and looked out the window.  "I do love you, you know."  
  
"I know."  She said not looking back over to him.  
  
Kenada knew what was going through her mind and felt horrible.  It was true, Kenada did love Seiya more than anything in the world and was delighted to have her in his life.  But there was something missing, the physical contact.  Kenada's thoughts slipped from the Earth senshi to his more personal problems.  Seiya was going to be staying over at his apartment again tonight, and again tonight they were going to have to go through the same dilemma.  It wasn't that Kenada didn't want to be close to Seiya, it was that it all just felt too weird.  
  
Kenada had been living as a male for quite some time now but there was still Usagi inside of him, and he couldn't ignore her inhibitions.  Besides the normal pressures that he had felt before about these kind of situations this only made it worse.  He had thought he had it all figured out when he was a female, but now he didn't know what he was supposed to do.   
  
Kenada would be able to kiss Seiya to greet her or say goodnight, it wasn't as if she hadn't done it before.  These kisses didn't mean anything and were just a formality.  He knew she wanted more and so did he.  
  
The car came to a stop in front of his apartment and he turned the engine off.  Before he could say anything Seiya had already opened the door and left the vehicle.  Kenada sighed as he pulled the keys from the ignition and turned the headlights off.   
  
Seiya was waiting by the door for him to open it.  He looked at her before he put the key in the lock and she returned the gaze.  Nothing was said but everything seemed to be understood.  Once they were in the apartment Seiya threw her bag down on the bench near the door and walked to the bathroom.  Kenada claimed his seat on the couch and turned on the television.  
  
"I'm just going to go to sleep."  She said when she came out into the living room.   
  
Kenada looked up from the tv and acknowledged her.  "You know how I feel about you and you."  
  
"Shhh. it's alright.  I understand."  She said before turning and heading towards the bedroom.  
  
Kenada turned the tv off soon afterwards and got up to follow her.  When he walked in the bedroom he saw her in a t-shirt pulling back the covers on the bed ready to climb in.  He changed into his pajamas and joined her.  His arms made their way over to wrap around her frame and pull her close to him.   
  
"I love you, whether you're Kenada or Usagi, it doesn't matter to me."  Seiya said into his chest.  "I never thought that I could love a man but this is different, this is you. my Odango."  She said tracing her finger over his chest.  
  
Kenada rested his chin on top of her head and soaked up the words that she had just said.  "I love you too, and that is why this is so hard."  
  
"No one said it was going to be easy."   
  
"Last time things got too hard to deal with I just ran away from my problem, but I don't want to run this time."  He brought his head down to face her.  
  
Seiya looked up longingly at him, her eyes seemed to plead for what her heart wanted.  "No more running."  
  
"No, no more running."  He smiled at her.  "Thank you for being so patient with me."  
  
"I'll always have patients for you."  Seiya said as she brought her lips up to meet his.  The kiss held nothing of what she had been looking for and they soon broke away.  "No matter how long it takes."  
  
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Breakfast was on the table and Taiki and Kakyuu were enjoying their meal and each reading a paper.  "Did you sense something strange about 'him' last night?"  Taiki asked over her paper.  
  
Kakyuu nodded and looked towards the doorway.  Yaten was standing there still waking up and scratching her head.  "What are you guys talking about?"  She came in and took a seat.  
  
"Kenada."  Taiki said dryly.  
  
"Oh. so you felt it too?"  Yaten's awareness seemed to peek.  "No wonder she was so attracted to him.  His star feels very similar to Usagi's."  
  
Kakyuu nodded her head once again.  "That's what I felt too.  I don't think we should mention this to Seiya though, let her be happy for once."  She went back to her paper.   
  
Without any further conversation Yaten got up and headed towards the bathroom for a shower.  "Where are you going this early in the morning?"  Taiki questioned her.  
  
"Out with Minako."  She said before closing the bathroom door.  
  
Yaten had found it much easier to be around Minako now that she was a girl.  The two had gotten past the whole obsession thing and a strong friendship had developed between the two.  Despite Yaten's constant denying it to herself she had to admit that she really did like Minako and that she had grown very close to her now that Seiya didn't seem to have as much time as he used to for her.  
  
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The horn sounded for the third time and Yaten grew impatient.  "God, she takes longer to get ready than I do!  Who the hell is she trying to impress any way?"  She grumbled to herself as she finally spotted Minako emerging from her apartment.  
  
"Sorry I made you wait, Makoto called just as I was heading out the door."  Minako jumped in the front seat of the car closing the door behind her.  "So how was it last night?"  She asked.  
  
Yaten pulled away and began driving.  "It was alright.  I'm really impressed, he is hot as hell.  I don't know what he's doing with Seiya."  
  
"Why not?  Seiya's a very beautiful woman, any guy would want her."  Minako looked over at her companion questioningly.  
  
"I guess, but still. I don't know, I guess you'd just have to have seen him."   
  
"Yeah, when do I get to meet him?"  Minako asked.   
  
"I don't know, why are you asking me?  Ask Seiya."  She huffed again in her seat and made Minako smile at this.  
  
"Fine then I will."  Minako grabbed for Yaten's cell phone.  
  
"What are you doing?"  She asked.  
  
"Asking Seiya. man you're getting dense."  She began to flip through his numbers and finally came across Kenada's number.  They all knew that Seiya spent most of her time with him and assumed that this was the first place to call to talk to him.  
  
"Hey, stop, don't call there!"  Yaten clumsily grabbed for the phone.  Seeing that there was no stopping her she added a few words of advice.  "If you're going to do that at least say you're me, so he doesn't ask questions of course.  He wouldn't recognize my voice anyway, I just met him last night."  
  
The phone rang throughout the apartment and cause Kenada to wake up.  He fumbled for the phone on his nightstand and finally got it from its cradle.  "Hello?"  He said sleepily.  
  
"Hi, how are you?  Is Seiya there?"  Minako asked.  
  
Kenada sat up straight in his bed, even though it had been so long he still remembered Minako's voice on the phone.  "Who is this?"  He asked.  
  
"Uhh. this is Yaten, remember we met last night?"  Minako looked over at Yaten concerned.  
  
"Oh yeah, how could I forget."  Kenada knew it was Minako but couldn't call her on it.  "Here she is hold on."  He nudged Seiya to wake her up.  
  
Seiya's eyes slowly opened and she realized how alert Kenada was for just waking up.  "What?"  
  
Kenada put his hand on the mouthpiece.  "It's Minako!"  He whispered.  
  
Seiya looked at him puzzled and took the phone.  "Hello?"  She asked confused.  
  
"Hi Seiya, this is Minako, I told Kenada that it was Yaten."  She giggled at herself.  "Boy does he sound cute, even if it is first thing in the morning.  Anyway, Yaten told me all about him and I want to meet him.  Bring him over to Rei's temple tomorrow at 5 for a party.  It's Mamoru's birthday.  See you then."  Minako quickly hung up the phone.  
  
"Well what did she say?"  Yaten looked over anxiously.  
  
"That's for me to know and you to find out."  Minako stuck her tongue out at her.  
  
Yaten growled and gripped the steering wheel harder.  "You're incorrigible you know that!"  
  
"No, you're just funny when you're mad."  Minako laughed.  "I didn't give her a chance to say no I hung up before she could say anything."  Minako and Yaten had a good laugh together and proceeded to the mall.  
  
"What did she want?"  Kenada asked taking the phone back from Seiya to hang it up.  
  
"She didn't give me a chance to say anything.  She told me to bring you to a party at Rei's tomorrow night."  Seiya laid back down.  
  
Kenada gulped when he realized what tomorrow was.  "Mamoru's birthday."  Kenada started to breathe heavily and panic.  "I can't . I can't go. I'm not ready to face them yet. Oh god. I can't."  
  
Seiya saw how panicked he was becoming and sat up and put her arms around him.  "Shhh. calm down, we don't have to go. it will be alright."  She could feel his chest heaving against her own.  
  
"I can't. please don't make me. I can't."  With the last 'I can't'  Kenada started to change and glow.  Soon Seiya found Usagi passed out in her arms.  
  
"Odango."  She whispered into her hair.  It had been a while since she had seen her face.  The last time she had seen her was when she mistakenly attacked Kenada so long ago. 


	3. three

Part III  
  
The afternoon was getting on and seemed to be going now where at the same time.  It was a dreary rainy day and Seiya saw no point in getting out of bed at all at the moment.  She was comfortably tucked away beneath the sheets of Kenada's bed staring at her companion beside her.  Usagi was still asleep and showing no signs of waking any time soon.  Seiya took this opportunity to take in her beauty and remember how she used to look.  
  
Seiya wished more than anything that they could just be back to the way they were before, she missed looking at this face everyday.  Seiya brought her hand up to touch Usagi's face lightly.  It was still as smooth as the day she remembered her lips touching it so long ago and it was hard to believe that she would want to be a man now.  
  
Her thoughts seemed to be getting the better of her and had no idea how much time had actually passed until Usagi began to stir.  Seiya glanced over at the clock on the nightstand and realized that she had been staring at her 'Odango' for well over an hour now.  Usagi's eyes fluttered open and she saw Seiya's face gazing upon her own.  "What are you looking at?  You look like you've seen a ghost."  She said and then realized how her voice had changed.  
  
"I think I have."  Was all that Seiya replied.  
  
Usagi quickly took a look down at herself and realized that her transformation had faded.  Once she completely understood what was going on she flew out of bed to look for her transformation pen.  
  
Seiya grabbed her wrist and tried to stop her.  "Is it really that bad?"  She asked but received no reply from Usagi.  Usagi sat back down on the bed and diverted her mission for the time being.  "Can't you just stay like this a little longer?  If not for anyone else but for me?"  
  
Usagi looked sympathetically in Seiya's eyes and realized just how truly selfish she had been the past year.  She knew that Seiya preferred her in this form but Seiya loved her in both forms and didn't let anything inhibit her from showing her that.  "I'm sorry."   
  
"For what?  You don't have to be sorry for anything Odango."  Seiya smiled as she said that name again.  She noticed that this too brought a smile to Usagi's lips.  Usagi's lips.  
  
Usagi's smile got a little bigger as she sat up a little straighter.  "You know, I think I will go with you to that party tomorrow."  This was a way that Usagi could do something for Seiya that was not being totally selfish.  
  
The way that she had stated it so matter of factly took Seiya back a bit and she didn't respond right away.  After some time and some funny looks passed Seiya found her voice again.  "Are you sure?  I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to."  
  
"I'm sure!"  Usagi said cheerfully, bent over and gave Seiya a kiss.  She hadn't realized just what she was doing until she pulled back and saw the shocked look on her face.  Usagi had become so accustomed to kissing Seiya like this when she was Kenada that the habit just must have gotten the better of her.  Before they headed into a discussion about this or any sort of confrontation Usagi decided to quickly get out of bed and change the subject.  "Hungry?"  
  
Seiya was still a little bewildered by what had just happened but not too much that she didn't laugh a bit at Usagi's comment.  "When aren't you?"  Usagi smiled back and watched Seiya climb out of bed after her.  
  
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"She's actually going to bring him here?"  Rei asked Yaten while preparing for the party.  Minako and Yaten had offered to come over and help Rei get everything all set.  Actually Yaten just wanted to make sure that Rei didn't pull any decorating no-nos.  "Seiya actually said that she was bringing him here?"  
  
"Well no not quite, see Minako didn't give her a chance to respond, but I haven't heard anything different from her so I'm assuming that he'll come."  Yaten finished lining the glasses up just the way she wanted them.  
  
"Yeah, that sounds like Minako!"  Rei sighed as she looked in the other room at the blond reading her manga.  "She never ceases to amaze me."  
  
Yaten laughed a bit at her comment and took a moment to take in the sight of Minako also.  "We'll I guess we're lucky she's one in a million, who needs more than one of her running around?"  
  
The doorbell chimed and Minako flew up from what she was doing to go and answer it.  "Michiru, Haruka!! Come on in!"  Minako made way for them to pass by her and took their jackets.  
  
"Oi!"  Haruka said as she waved to Rei and Yaten in the kitchen.  The animosity was no longer present between the outers and the lights and Haruka had actually grown quite fond of Yaten.  
  
"Mamoru and Setsuna are on their way up the stairs as we speak, so I wouldn't get too comfortable Minako."  Michiru said to her as she noticed her going to resume her former position.  
  
Minako sighed and decided to help out in the kitchen.  Before she could get in the room the doorbell sounded again.  "Coming!"  She shouted from across the house.  
  
"God Minako, do you have to be so loud?"  Rei asked covering her ears in the process.  
  
Minako turned around to give her a smile while still heading for the door.  While she was turned around however she didn't see Yaten walking out of the bathroom and ran smack into him.  "What the."  She said as she was falling swiftly to the floor.  
  
Yaten tried her best to struggle out from under Minako but wasn't getting too far.  "That's not Mamoru and Setsuna."  Michiru said while looking out the window.  "It's Seiya and some guy, a very handsome guy I might add."  
  
Yaten and Minako looked at each other and fought each other all the way to the door.  "I'm going to answer it!"  Yaten yelled as she reached out for the knob.  
  
"No, I haven't seen him yet, I'm going to answer it!"  Minako was pulling and clawing her way forward and finally the jumbled mess of Yaten and Minako made it to the door.  
  
The door swung open and Kenada and Seiya saw Yaten and Minako lying on the floor tangled up with one another with Minako's hand still dangling from the doorknob.  "Hi guys."  Seiya said in a cheerful voice while Kenada flashed them a smile.  
  
"You were right!  He is totally handsome!"  Minako whispered to Yaten but Kenada and Seiya still heard her.  
  
The two got up off the ground so that the couple could pass through the door.  Once inside Minako took their jackets and they greeted everyone.  Kenada kissed Yaten's hand.  "Well we meet again my dear."  He said while looking up at her from her hand.  Everyone was shocked that Yaten actually blushed!  
  
Haruka and Michiru introduced themselves next.  Kenada seemed to get a little red in the face but they just passed it off because it was rather warm in the room.  "You seem awfully familiar to me.  Have we met somewhere before?"  Haruka asked while shaking his hand.  
  
"No.. no, I don't think so."  Kenada managed to choke out.  When Haruka turned away he shot a look at Seiya and they both seemed to know the tension.  
  
"Hi!  I'm Minako."  Minako bounced up to him.  Kenada wanted to hug her and tell her how much he missed her but couldn't and it was killing him.  Instead he gave her a simple handshake.  
  
Then it happened, Rei walked out of the kitchen and into his presence.  She was drying her hands on her apron and approaching him.  "Hello, I'm Rei.  It's nice to finally meet you after hearing so much about you from Seiya."  She had a smile on her face.   
  
Seiya looked over at Kenada and thought he was going to break down and cry.  "I hope she only told you the good things!"  He said while trying to keep up his front.  
  
"Of course!"  Rei laughed and let go of his hand.  "If you don't mind I have to excuse myself to finish up what I was doing in the kitchen."  She smiled again at him.  There was something about this guy that she liked immediately and she knew why Seiya liked him too.  
  
"Here, let me help you."  Kenada offered and Rei nodded.  Seiya was a little surprised to say the least but said nothing.  
  
Once Kenada and Rei were out the room, Minako wasted no time in coming up to Seiya.  "Where did you find him?!  Does he have a brother?"  She asked with the small hearts disappearing slowly out of her eyes.  
  
"No, Minako, he doesn't have a brother and if he did I think Yaten called first dibs on him."  Seiya laughed at the blond.  
  
The doorbell sounded again and this time it was Mamoru, Ami, Makoto and Taiki.  "What happened to Setsuna?"  Michiru asked once they were in the warmth of the house.  
  
"She said she had something to take care of immediately at the gates of time and to say that she was sorry."  Mamoru explained to her.  
  
"Shhh."  Minako came up with her finger in front of her lips.  "Seiya's boyfriend Kenada is here, you can't just go around talking about the gates of time and senshi stuff!"  She hissed with Yaten giving her back up with wide eyes.  
  
Mamoru immediately looked around to see if he had heard but saw him no where in sight.  "I'll try to be a little more careful."  
  
Rei came around the corner with Kenada, each of them was carrying a dish to place on the table.  "Great, now that everyone's here we can eat!"  Rei set her dish down and headed towards Mamoru.  "Happy Birthday Mamoru."  She said while hugging him in a friendly way.  
  
Everyone had become so caught up in the whole 'Kenada' deal that they didn't remember to wish the poor guy a happy birthday.  Everyone sweat dropped and quickly remembered their manners and wished him a happy birthday too.  
  
"Everything looks great Rei."  Makoto complimented from down the table.  
  
The night went on and Kenada seemed to become more and more comfortable with the entire situation.  It was great to see them all again and was now starting to wish that he hadn't waited so long to do so.  Usagi's name wasn't mentioned once throughout the entire night and he was thankful for that.  Seiya once in a while would shoot a smile Kenada's way to let him know just how proud she was of him for doing all of this.  
  
Seiya and Kenada were the first ones to leave the party, they said their good-byes and headed out into the cold dark night.  Once again it was a dark ride home.  "How was it?"  Seiya asked looking over at Kenada.  
  
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."  He said checking in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was there before he switched lanes.  
  
"I'm very proud of you.  I know that you didn't want to do this and I'm the only reason you went.  Thank you."  Seiya said seriously while watching Kenada's reaction.  
  
Kenada smiled while listening and looked over at her.  "What better reason would I have to do it if it wasn't for you?"   
  
Seiya smiled and became very happy, but her smile soon faded and so did her happiness.  "Was it hard to see Mamoru again?"  She asked.  She knew that if it was hard for him to have seen him again then this would just be tightening the noose but this was something that she needed to know.  
  
Kenada once again smiled and this surprised Seiya.  "No, it wasn't hard to see Mamoru again.  Actually he was the least of my concerns tonight.  I'd have to say the hardest one to face was Rei."  Kenada realized how happy he had just made Seiya by telling her this but it was the truth and he wasn't just saying it for the sake of making her feel better.  
  
"I love you."  Seiya said while still staring at Kenada.  
  
Kenada tilted his head to the side to catch a glimpse of her face.  "I love you too."  He smiled and continued to drive.  
  
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The phone rang early in the morning.  Since the phone was on Kenada's side of the bed and he was showing no signs of answering it Seiya reached over him to pick it up.  "Hello?"  She asked straining to see what time it was.  
  
"Seiya!  You're never going to believe it."  Yaten was practically yelling in the phone.  
  
"What?"  She asked pulling the earpiece away from her head so she didn't permanently lose her hearing.  
  
"A new enemy showed up last night."  Yaten was catching her breath.  "We weren't strong enough to defeat it."  
  
"Then why are you in such a damn good mood?"  Seiya snapped and this in turn woke Kenada up.  "Is everyone alright?"  
  
"Everyone is fine.  Sailor Moon saved us!"  There was no response from the other end of the phone.  "Seiya?  Are you still there?"  There was concern in Yaten's voice.  
  
"That's impossible."  
  
"It's not impossible it happened."  Yaten said but then started to speak a little quieter.  "She took off after the enemy was destroyed before any of us had a chance to say anything to her.. We're having a senshi meeting tonight at our apartment, be here at 7."   
  
"I'll be there."  Seiya said still in shock before hanging up the phone.  
  
"Who was that?"  Kenada asked.  
  
"Yaten."  Seiya looked at her surprised.  
  
"I knew you never should have given him this number!  That's twice he's been responsible for waking me up!"  Kenada rolled over and put his head under the pillow.  
  
"Sailor Moon saved everyone from a new enemy last night."  Seiya said flatly.  
  
Kenada's head flew out from under the pillow and he sat up straight to look her in the eye.  "What?!"  He demanded.  "That's impossible!  I was here with you all night!"  
  
"I don't know?  She said that Sailor Moon took off right after the battle before any of them got to ask her anything and that there's a senshi meeting tonight.  I guess we'll find out more when I get back from that."  Seiya began to get out of bed.  
  
"What?  I don't understand?  What's happening?"  Kenada was holding his head.  He quickly got up out of bed and rushed to his dresser.  He furiously searched through the draws until he found what he was looking for.  In his hand was Eternal Sailor Moon's broach. 


	4. four

Part IV  
  
"That yoma didn't even seem like it was after anything."  Ami said while thinking out loud.  The group was gathered at the Light's apartment and everyone was present and accounted for.  
  
Seiya sat next to Yaten on the couch not saying a word.  Yaten looked over at her to see what her reaction was to all of this.  This was Usagi they were talking about and even though she had Kenada now, Yaten was sure that this news wouldn't be affecting Seiya in a good way.  
  
"No, that's right, it didn't."  Michiru agreed.  All around the room the group was pondering what was going on.   
  
"It was nice to see her again. even if it was so briefly."  Rei smiled while looking at no one in particular.  "She still looked just the same as I remembered her too."  Rei began to cry a little.   
  
The group of them had tried hard to suppress their memories of their friend.  It was almost as if she had died and they had been mourning her loss.  Seeing her again rehashed all of those painful memories for them and Rei seemed to be taking it the hardest.  
  
"I wasn't her."  Seiya spoke.  These were the first words that she had spoken all evening.  
  
"What?"  Mamoru looked over at her.  Seiya didn't reply as she was confident that Mamoru had heard what she had said.  "What would you know?  You weren't even there!"  Mamoru's patients were already wearing thin and Seiya only aggravated him more.  
  
"I didn't have to be there. it wasn't her."  Seiya said staring directly into Mamoru's eyes.  "I know."   
  
"You know nothing."  Haruka got up to confront her.  "Mamoru's right, you weren't even there. Wait are you saying we're lying?  We've all hoped and dreamed since the day that she disappeared that this day would come. the day that we got to see her again."  The tall girl was visibly upset as were the rest of them but Haruka had a very hard time containing herself, especially when it came to Usagi.  
  
Yaten put her hand on Seiya's arm to try and calm her down before she said something to further infuriate the group.  Seiya continued to stare at Mamoru and quickly moved her arm away from Yaten.  "Obviously I'm not wanted here and no one is listening to me so I think I'd better just leave."  She said this in a low hiss and directed it for the most part at Mamoru.  
  
"Yes, maybe you'd better leave."  Mamoru watched as Seiya turned her back to him and headed towards the door.  "I guess only the people that truly cared about her and miss her know that it really was her."  
  
That was it, Seiya could no longer keep her composure and spun around and stared down the group that had previously been eyeing her.  "What are you saying?"  She asked threateningly.  
  
"You heard me.  You never loved her the way that I did, you have no idea how we feel!"  Mamoru was now standing and the two towered over the group.  "If you really loved her then how did you move on so easily?  Huh?  Tell me, how did you find such comfort in that man you call your boyfriend?!"  Mamoru was now shouting across the room.  
  
It took every ounce of self-control that Seiya had to keep from flying across the room to counter up against his face.  Rei stood up and came between the two.  "Mamoru!  That's enough!  You have no right to judge her."  Rei had stopped crying when the confrontation began and couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
  
"That's right Mamoru, you have no right to judge me."  Seiya said with sort of a cocked smile.  "So how hard was it for you to move in on Ami when you realized that she wasn't coming back?"  
  
The group stared at Ami and then at Mamoru.  They hadn't known about the relationship that the two had going on between them.  Seiya never would have guessed it either if it hadn't been for Taiki telling her.  Taiki had never given up her hope of capturing Ami's heart even though she was a female now, and Ami finally told her that there was no chance when she began secretly dating Mamoru.  
  
Mamoru began to lunge at Seiya and she made no motion to move out of the way of the on coming attack.  Ami had stood up behind Mamoru and held him back from doing what he intended.  Ami looked over at Taiki because she knew that she was the only way that Seiya could have known.  Taiki was sitting with her head down and cupped in her hands.  
  
Seiya saw that there was no reason for her to stay here any more.  
  
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"So a yoma was attacking the city and regardless of what anyone did to stop it they couldn't?  Then suddenly Sailor Moon showed up and blasted the thing to pieces with one shot?"  Kenada questioned Seiya as she sat on the porch looking up at the night sky.  
  
"That's what they said."  Seiya said bluntly and not really addressing the issue any further.  
  
Kenada looked over at her form drenched in the moonlight.  "Did something else happen tonight?"  He knew that there was something else bothering her and she wasn't coming right out and telling her.  
  
"I just lost my temper it's over now."   
  
"What?  Why?"  Kenada became very concerned.  Seiya always had a hot head but was doing well at working on it lately and for something to upset her this much must have been hard.  
  
"I never did like Mamoru."  She laughed a bit at herself and then rehashed the night's events for him.  Seiya had never told him how Mamoru and Ami were dating now and figured that this was as good of time as any to break the news.  
  
Kenada looked at her with sympathy in his eyes and wrapped himself around her to comfort her perhaps.  "I'm sorry. "  
  
"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. They wouldn't believe me. Hell I wouldn't have believed me either. But it's not like I could just come out and tell them what happened."  Seiya was smiling now.  The situation had replayed itself one final time in her mind and she realized that she had the answer right next to her.  
  
Kenada kissed her lightly on her forehead and smiled back, not really knowing why but it was just the fact that he loved to see her smile.  Seiya squeezed his hand a little harder and just as she did her communicator went off.  "Seiya."  Yaten was on the other end and didn't see Kenada in the background.  "Come quick.  There's another yoma attacking in the middle of the Juuban district."  
  
Yaten's face flickered from the communicator and Seiya looked at Kenada.  "Are you coming?"  She asked not really knowing what to expect for an answer.  
  
"Hell yeah!  I want to see just who this imposter is!"  Kenada quickly got up and grabbed his keys.  
  
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It was dark and the only light was coming from a few dimly lit streetlights and the moon.  It was enough light however for Fighter to see the bodies of the fallen senshi around her.  Healer, Venus, Uranus and Tuxedo Kamen were still busy with the fight.  "Are you going to transform?"  Fighter asked Kenada who was standing with her in a tree.  
  
"No, I will if you need me, but I'm going to stay out of this."  He said never once taking his eyes off of the battle going on below them.  
  
The yoma blasted a shot at Tuxedo Kamen forcing him to the ground but was attacked from behind by Venus.  The yoma's attention was taken from the fallen man to the blond behind it.  This yoma was quick and didn't hesitate in blasting Venus square in the chest.  Instead of just hitting Venus the blast came in contact with both her and Healer.  Healer's last minute attempt to help her ended up in them both getting blasted.  Tuxedo Kamen struggled to get to his feet as he realized that the yoma had turned its attention back to him.  Uranus came in front of the prince to protect him but was distracted by the brilliant laser that crashed into the yoma.  
  
"Fighter."  Healer grumbled from the ground.  
  
"There, now that's them all."  
  
"Yes, that was the one that was missing last time."  
  
"Stop right there!"  A voice came from behind the yoma.  "I'm not going to stand around and watch you hurt my friends!  I am the pretty sailor suited soldier, Sailor Moon.  In the name of the moon I will punish you!"  The fallen senshi immediately recognized the corny poses and gestures that this mysterious senshi was making.  
  
Sailor Moon quickly used her attack and hit the yoma head on with a flash of bright lights and colors.  When the yoma was gone she began to make her way over to the senshi sprawled all around.  
  
Fighter looked back over at the tree she had previously come from and saw Kenada still there.  Then who was this girl?  It was true she did look just like her.  The same blond hair done up in odangos and the same fuku.  Fighter had a hard time distinguishing what was going on.  
  
Sailor Moon came up to her, as she was the closet one standing near her.  "Don't come any closer."  Fighter warned.  
  
"What are you doing?!"  Uranus yelled as she began to run over to them.  
  
Sailor Moon began to take more steps towards her.  "I'm warning you!"  She held her yell in front of her.  "Who are you?"  She demanded as she refused to back away.  She knew that Uranus was coming up behind her and knew that she didn't have much time.  
  
"It's me. "  Sailor Moon said.  "Don't you remember me?  Have I really been gone that long?"  She said with a sweet smile and continued to step closer to Fighter.  
  
"NO!"  Fighter screamed.  Uranus was almost upon her and she had to think fast.  "STAR SERIOUS LASER!!"  
  
The laser ripped through the night air and soared towards Sailor Moon.  She must not have been expecting this because she had no time to react and was hit directly by the blast.  Uranus was now on Fighter but a little too late.  The other senshi that had regained consciousness rushed over to the fallen Sailor Moon.  Fighter saw that she was unconscious and knew that she would be too soon if she didn't get out of there.  
  
Fighter freed herself from Uranus's hold and took off.  Uranus wasn't about to let her get away with hurting her princess that easily and took off into the night after her.  Fighter saw this and knew that she couldn't go back to Kenada right now because she didn't want to lead Uranus right to him.  
  
Kenada watched the whole scene unfold in front of him.  He saw a girl that looked exactly the same as he used to laid out and bleeding on the ground as a result of Fighter's attack.  A shiver went down her spine as she replayed the image of Fighter attacking her over in her mind.  
  
Eventually Uranus returned to the scene and Kenada wondered if Fighter was safe.  The senshi detransformed and brought Sailor Moon back to Rei's shrine to take care of her.  
  
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Kenada walked in the door to find no lights on and no signs of Seiya anywhere.  He tossed his keys down on the stand near the door and proceeded into the house turning the hall light on in the process.  The answering machine was flashing with a single message.  Kenada pressed play as he proceeded into the kitchen to make himself something to drink.  
  
"Hello Kenada, this message is for Seiya.  Please call me as soon as you get this, I'm really worried about you and I need to talk to you."  The message played and Kenada didn't really seem to be effected by it too much.  It had been Kakyuu checking up on Seiya.  
  
Kenada finished what he was doing and began to head for his bedroom.  There was no sense in going out to look for Seiya, if she was alright she would come home and if she wasn't alright. well he didn't even want to think about that.  
  
"Are you sure you can still transform?"  The question came from the dark room that Kenada just entered.  It was Seiya sitting alone in the dark.  
  
"What?  Of course I can, what kind of question is that?"  He asked.  
  
"Show me."   
  
Kenada flicked on the light next to the bed and saw Seiya's tear streaked face.  She looked like hell and he could only begin to imagine what was wrong with her.  "It was hard to attack me huh?"  He said a little lightly to perhaps put some humor in the mood.  It didn't work however and he knew that this was what was plaguing her.  "What are you getting at anyway?"  
  
"Just show me please. How do I know that you aren't the imposter?  Maybe you really are Kenada and just disguise yourself as Usagi. Maybe that girl really is Sailor Moon, my Odango. and if she is that means that I just."  Before her tears started again Seiya pleaded with him one more time.  "Please Kenada, I need to see."  
  
Kenada saw how much this was tearing her apart and saw no other way but to comply with what she asked.  He pulled the broach out that was still in his pocket from going out tonight and held it up over his head and said those words that he never thought he'd have to say again.  "MOON ETERNAL MAKE- UP!"  
  
In seconds the room was filled with bright lights and feathers, suddenly Eternal Sailor Moon replaced Kenada.  Seiya's face showed a smile as she stood up from her seat.  A relieved sigh escaped Sailor Moon's lips as she saw this.  The two wasted no time in walking towards each other and embraced in the middle of the room.  "Thank you."  Seiya said with tears streaming out of her eyes.  
  
"Stop crying silly, you're going to make me."  SM sniffed while she held her.  Before she knew what was happening she found herself locked in a very passionate kiss with Seiya and this time she actually let herself enjoy it. 


	5. five

Part V  
  
Sailor Moon began to flutter her eyes. She had been stirring in the bed in the guest room of Rei's temple. Throughout the night Rei had been sitting, waiting, and watching eagerly. She was back, she was really back. Where had she been this whole time? These thoughts and more ran through her head.  
  
"Where am I?" The previously silent figure mumbled as she brought her hand up to touch her forehead.  
  
Rei shifted a bit from her seated position and came up closer on her knees. "It's alright. You're at my house." She answered in a hushed tone of voice.  
  
Sailor Moon's eyes looked to the side to capture Rei in her sights. "Who are you?" She asked.  
  
Rei was thrown off guard by the question. "Usagi. it's me. Rei." She said. How hard had Fighter's attack hit her?  
  
"Oh I'm sorry Rei." Sailor Moon smiled at her. "It's just been so long." She looked down in her lap.  
  
Rei smiled back showing that she understood. "Why don't you detransform now and we'll get you something to eat." In one quick movement she was on her feet and turning to walk out the door.  
  
Sailor Moon smiled back. Once Rei was out of the room she got up and walked around taking in her surroundings. She walked over to the dresser that was pressed up against the far wall. On top of it were pictures. She immediately recognized the black haired girl in most of them to be Rei. Her eyes wandered until they came upon a picture in a frame labeled best buds. It was a picture of Rei and a girl with long blond hair done up in two buns with two long pigtails flowing from either one.  
  
The door opened again suddenly to expose Rei standing in the hallway. "What are you doing?" She asked bewildered carrying a trey with two bowls of rice. "I thought you were going to change?"  
  
"Sorry. I just got caught up looking at the pictures." She said setting the frame she had just been admiring down.  
  
Rei walked up next to her to see what she had found so interesting. "That is a great picture of you and I, ne?" She turned her head to smile at her.  
  
Sailor Moon nodded and detransformed. Usagi stood in front of her friend. Rei had to display a huge smile. It had been so long since she had seen this face.  
  
The two sat down to enjoy their small meal. Rei was impressed that Usagi wasn't eating like a pig as she had before. "When are we going to see the other senshi?" Usagi asked.  
  
Rei was once again stunned to hear her ask this. Usagi had never referred to their friends as senshi unless she was Sailor Moon. "Uh. we can go and see them as soon as we're done eating, I guess."  
  
"Great!" Usagi said as she began inhaling her food in true Usagi style. This was the Usagi she remembered.  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
The thumping of the bass resounded through the air. Minako sat quietly on the couch looking hopelessly out the window. She could feel her insides vibrating with every pluck of a string. Yaten had been at this all morning and hadn't even let up for a break. Minako casually turned her head to look in her direction. She was still going at it as furiously as ever and then it happened, she broke a string.  
  
"Damn!" Yaten stopped playing and set the bass down next to the couch and joined Minako. "Gomen." She said as she leaned her arm on the side.  
  
"For what?" Minako asked but she knew that she had been apologizing for calling her over here early this morning and then ignoring her to take her frustrations out on her instrument.  
  
"I just can't figure this out." She said after a sigh. "Why would Fighter have done that?" She picked her head up and showed Minako her puzzled face.  
  
"I don't know either, but you heard her yourself, she doesn't think that's really Sailor Moon." Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.  
  
Kakyuu walked in and shot them both a smile. Why was she smiling at a time like this? All of the Earth senshi wanted Fighter's head on a platter they, didn't even seem to want an explanation and she was smiling? "Have you heard from Seiya?" She asked as she set down her bags.  
  
"No, nothing." Yaten replied as she got up.  
  
"Where are you going?" Kakyuu replied. Minako was still sitting on the couch between the two standing opponents.  
  
"I'm going to see Usagi. is there a problem with that?" Yaten asked giving Kakyuu the eye. Minako stood to join her.  
  
Kakyuu shook her head. "No there's no problem with that." She started to walk to the kitchen. "You're just the last person that I would have expected to want to go and see her."  
  
Without another word Yaten and Minako left the apartment and headed for Rei's temple. "Slow down." Minako called from behind.  
  
Yaten had taken up a pretty quickened pace. There must have been something really plaguing her thoughts to exert energy like this.  
  
"Why did you want to go and see Usagi?" Minako asked when she caught up after Yaten had slowed her pace.  
  
"I want to see if I can see what Seiya saw. I have to see if she was right." She said while still looking forward.  
  
"Are you saying that you believe her? You don't think that it's really Usagi?" Minako asked incredulously.  
  
Yaten looked over with a sort of smile. "Of course I believe her. Why wouldn't I? I believe that she really thinks that it isn't Usagi but that doesn't mean that's true. I will always support Seiya but I need proof to defend her."  
  
Minako nodded that she now understood.  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
"Who was the senshi that blasted you? Have you found out why?"  
  
"I barely know anything. I was lucky enough to discover my own identity to change into before they got suspicious. I hadn't planned on getting knocked out."  
  
"Well you'd have to keep up the show for a little longer. Do the others believe you?"  
  
"Yes, they seem to. The only one who seems to have a problem with me is Sailor Star Fighter. Perhaps she will be my first target."  
  
"You will not be able to defeat her when she is a senshi, you must find out what her alternate identity is to do so. This is why we are sending you here in the first place."  
  
"Sailor Moon has been gone for so long that it doesn't really matter if I slip up a few times, they'll just think that it's been hard on me and that my mind just isn't what it used to be."  
  
"I wouldn't be too overly confident. Just get back there and continue your mission, you have to find out the real identities of the Sailor Senshi."  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
"Are you going to leave me now?"  
  
Mamoru looked over from what he was doing to address the girl. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Ami closed the book she had been reading. "Now that Usagi is back, you're going to leave me."  
  
Mamoru moved closer to her and took her into his arms. "No, I'm not going to leave you. No matter who comes back." He smiled down at her.  
  
"Honto?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. Her questions seemed to be coming out of nowhere, the room had been silent for a long time before.  
  
"Really."  
  
Ami held him tighter as she smiled. "I just thought that the future being what it was that you two would be together again. She's going to be so lonely." She didn't look up at his face when she said this and it's probably better off that she didn't. The distressed look on his face would have been enough to encourage her to continue her string of questions.  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
Seiya sat and looked out the window. What was going on? Was this a new enemy? She looked over at Kenada who also seemed to be in deep thought as he stared motionlessly down at his bills. The silence was peaceful and they both seemed to be benefiting from it, but they knew it had to be broken some time.  
  
"Do you think it could be some one from the future?" Seiya asked remembering the stories he had told her a long time ago.  
  
"No. I don't think so. but that doesn't mean that I'm right." Kenada turned her head to address Seiya.  
  
Seiya got up from her seat by the window and walked over to the small table that Kenada was seated at. "I'm so stupid, I can't even go over there and check out the situation now." She ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
Kenada made no motion to comfort her because she knew that it would have made no difference. "You did what you thought was right. I would have done the same thing if I was you."  
  
These words held little to no comfort for her and she continued on with her worries. Without saying a word to Kenada, Seiya reached for the phone and began to dial. Kenada didn't question who she was calling but instead just sat back and observed. "Hello Kakyuu."  
  
"Seiya? Where are you? Are you alright? What happened?" Kakyuu sounded a bit distressed on the other end.  
  
Seiya laughed a bit. "So you still think of yourself as my mother and guardian huh? I'm fine and I'll give you one wild guess where I am." She laughed again as she looked over at Kenada.  
  
"I believe you Seiya, I just hope you know what you're doing." She had calmed down and put true sincerity in her tone.  
  
"Thank you, it means a lot to me to know that you of all people still believe in me." Seiya sighed and seemed to release a breath she had been holding. "How is everyone else handling this?"  
  
"I don't know where Taiki is and Yaten just left here with Minako to go see 'Usagi'. The Earth senshi are ecstatic about the whole thing and I believe they're all getting together in a little while to see what's all going on." She paused to see if there was going to be any other reaction from the other end. Nothing. "Was that all you needed to know?"  
  
Seiya smiled. "Yes, thank you. You'll keep me posted right?"  
  
"Of course, I'll do anything for you." Kakyuu smiled at the thought of her little Starlight.  
  
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
  
"What are you doing?" Makoto questioned as she walked in the bar. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon the place was still pretty crowded. Cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air as did the smell of alcohol.  
  
"Whahut dwo oo scare?" Taiki slurred incoherently. She was wasted but still showing no signs of slowing down.  
  
Makoto stood tall behind her afraid that she would crash off her stool at anytime. "The answer you're looking for isn't at the bottom of that bottle you know." She put her hands on Taiki shoulders but said her statement with enough force to let her know she was serious.  
  
"Yah, well it twasn't tat the bottom of any of stoes botchles eagerth." The words slurred out of her mouth again while she pointed to the pile of empty bottles next to her.  
  
The bar tender, who had been drying out glasses came over to them. He had gotten tired of refilling her glass every five minutes so he had given her the bottle. A small puddle of spilt liquor, an almost empty bottle and a full shot glass sat on the bar between Taiki and the bar tender. "I think you've had enough." He said.  
  
"You think she's had enough?" Makoto questioned astounded. "Where the hell were you when she got this way, you're just noticing this now!"  
  
"Hey lady, it's not my job to baby sit the people who can't hold their liquor!" He walked away disgusted and didn't see Taiki flip him off.  
  
Makoto quickly grabbed her and supported her out of the bar acting as a human crutch. They weren't going to be able to see Usagi now, Makoto had to take care of the drunk Taiki. "What were you thinking?" Makoto lectured as they headed down the road to in her car.  
  
There was no answer from the passenger seat and when she looked over she noticed that Taiki had passed out. She knew very well why Taiki was in that bar. Everyone could see that she still had feelings for Ami and now with the new news about her and Mamoru she understood the pain she must have been going through. Ami was somewhat cruel in her let down of Taiki but figured that it was the best way to help her start to get over it.  
  
Taiki wasn't really one for talking and it was no surprise that she would seek solace in a drink. Hell Makoto had even done it before. It was hard to be the odd one out and to have no one to turn to and talk to. This was especially hard for Makoto since Usagi had left, she had always been the one who would listen to her no matter what and make her feel better with her innocent views on things. She knew that her and Taiki were in the same boat and perhaps that's why she wasn't mad about having to take care of her.  
  
@~~~@~~~@ 


	6. six

Part VI  
  
The afternoon sun set silently on the water as it cast its heavy orange shadow on the Earth. The waves breaking seemed to calm her nerves when she needed it. Haruka had gotten her so worked up and she just needed to get away, get away from it all. Haruka didn't question where she was going when she left the house and she made no effort to tell her. Michiru leaned against the rail that separated her and the sand below.  
  
She had been thinking a lot lately. She had seen visions of Usagi coming back in her mirror not too long ago but was reluctant to say anything to anyone about it, especially Haruka. When she looked in her mirror she saw Usagi's face shining brightly but then it multiplied in two and they faced off against one another. Michiru didn't know what it meant and had just about convinced herself that it was all in her dreams. But now she was back, what did it all mean?  
  
Her peaceful thoughts were cut short by the sound of her communicator going off. She didn't answer it right away and hoped that she could make this peaceful moment last just a bit longer. When she finally gave into the annoying chime Hotaru's face showed up on the small screen. "Michiru-mama, are you going to come and see Usagi?" She asked innocently.  
  
The others were gathered at Rei's temple and the only ones missing were Michiru, Makoto and Taiki. Makoto had called however and explained her situation paying careful attention not to speak to Ami about it. "Yes sweetie, I'll be right there." She smiled as she shut the cover. 'Something's not right.'  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
"So did you guys miss me?" Usagi said coming into the room. Rei had told her to go and take a shower quickly before everyone got there. Just as she had remembered, there was no such thing as Usagi taking a 'quick' shower.  
  
Minako was the first one to respond to the new presence in the room by rushing over and tackling her into a giant hug. "I missed you so much." She sobbed out. "Don't you ever do that again!" She sobbed and hadn't loosened her grip on the other blond at all. "Where have you been?" Minako finally let go of her grip on the girl to allow her to answer.  
  
"Yeah Kitten, where have you been?" Haruka was smiling at her with Hotaru sitting on her lap.  
  
"It's a long story and I don't really feel like going into it right now. I just want to be able to spend time with you guys and catch up." She smiled brightly. Never once had seen directed her attention to Mamoru who was sitting across the room from her. There seemed as though there was nothing at all between them, as though all of their history was forgotten.  
  
"Did you tell her?" Mamoru pulled Rei close to him.  
  
"No, I didn't think it was my place to say anything about it. I think news like that should come from either you or Ami." She had a stern look on her face and quickly detached herself from him.  
  
"Where are the others?" Usagi looked around and noticed the missing people.  
  
"Michiru is on her way, Makoto and Taiki won't be able to make it and Seiya had better not show up here!" Haruka said, as her face grew angry at the last part of the statement.  
  
"Haruka!" Michiru came up behind her. "I don't think that's something we want to be bringing up right now. This is supposed to be a happy time, ne?"  
  
"Bring up what?" Usagi asked being intrigued by the conversation.  
  
"Kitten don't you remember anything about yesterday?" Haruka asked astonished that Usagi wasn't mad about what Seiya had done to her. Usagi shook her head. "That ass Seiya blasted you for no good reason!" Haruka's tone was passed pissed.  
  
"I know who you are Star Fighter."  
  
Yaten was getting more than annoyed with Haruka's accusations but for once she kept her anger to herself. She had more important things to do here. Her eyes carefully examined Usagi in search of anything that was different about her. It was hard for her though. It had been so long since she had seen her and even when she had seen her before she had never really taken the time to notice all there was to notice about Usagi, but Seiya had. Is that why Seiya could tell that something was wrong with her? Yaten couldn't think of anyone who spent more time staring at Usagi than Seiya. She laughed a bit to herself at the remembrance of those times.  
  
Minako looked over at Yaten. She knew he was analyzing and assessing all there was to about Usagi and she knew that he would ask her later if she sensed anything off about her. Could she tell him that she was scared?  
  
Haruka's comments continued on and pretty soon Yaten couldn't deal with them any more. "Haruka, I think that's enough. Perhaps you should wait for a future time when Seiya is here to defend herself?" She suggested calmly.  
  
"Future time? There will never be a future time when she and I are in the same room together. You know, maybe we would have been better off if you Starlights had never come here!" Haruka was still spouting off. She had been telling Usagi about how Seiya had a boyfriend now and that it must have just been some silly little crush that she had had on her.  
  
"I know who you are too my dear Yaten. we're just going to have to see who Seiya's heart really belongs to now. perhaps I won't have to destroy the senshi, perhaps she can do it for me."  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
"I don't really feel like any breakfast today." Seiya said as she walked into the kitchen.  
  
Kenada was sitting at the table drinking his tea and enjoying the comics in the paper. "That's good, I wasn't going to make you any." He smiled, his eyes never leaving his reading.  
  
Seiya smiled and sat down next to him. "We're having company today." She said. "I would have told her that she couldn't come but after the whole breakfast comment I think I'll ask her to stay for a while!" Seiya smirked as she stole Kenada's tea.  
  
Kenada put his paper down and stared her in the eye. "And just who is our guest?" He grabbed his cup back from her. "Did you really think I was going to let you get away with that?"  
  
Seiya sighed as she got up to fix her own cup of tea as she started to explain the day's events to Kenada. "Yaten said that she really wanted to talk to me. I have a feeling it's about 'Usagi'." She made cheesy little quotation marks in the air with her fingers. "I bet she's going to ask if we can go some where so you can't listen in."  
  
"If she only knew." Kenada chuckled as he went back to reading his paper.  
  
Seiya stopped what she was doing. "Why can't she know?"  
  
Kenada looked up from his paper again and displayed a shocked face for Seiya. "Be..Because. Because. how could I expect her to forgive me for lying to her?"  
  
"That's not your real reason." Seiya said as she stood in front of Kenada. Kenada's head dropped down so that she couldn't see his face. "But I'll let you go with it.. It would just be a lot easier if I could explain the situation to her."  
  
DING DONG  
  
"Speaking of the devil." Kenada muttered.  
  
Seiya moved quickly to answer the door. "Yaten how are you?" She said as she let her in.  
  
"Do you always walk around like that?" Yaten asked as she looked Seiya over and noticed her little black nightgown. Seiya looked down and seemed to notice it too for the first time and walked off towards her room.  
  
"Hello my pretty, what brings you here?" Kenada asked from the kitchen. He was fixing himself another cup of tea and one for Yaten.  
  
Kenada's muscular upper body was exposed and left Yaten somewhat speechless as she stared. She soon blushed however when she realized what she was doing. Unfortunately for her Seiya noticed it too. She laughed a bit, she remembered why Kenada had told her he liked to walk around with his shirt off. When he was Usagi he wouldn't have been able to get away with it so he was going to take full advantage of the opportunity now!  
  
"Uhhh. I came to see Seiya. I had to ask her advice on a few uhhh. 'girlie' things. Yeah that's it." Yaten fumbled her words as she tried to think of an excuse and at the same time not get distracted by Kenada.  
  
Kenada obviously knew that she was lying and knew her real reason for being here. "Oh, so I guess I should leave you two alone for your 'girlie' thing." He said mimicking Yaten for the last part. "I'll see you later, I'm going to the store. Do you need anything?" He asked.  
  
"No I'm all set, but you might want to pick up a mop. Yaten's drooling all over our floor." Seiya laughed. She knew she had embarrassed Yaten but she couldn't help herself. Yaten shot her a dirty look but stopped when she heard Kenada laugh.  
  
"So what did you want to talk to me about so bad?" Seiya asked as she sat down at the kitchen table to finish the cup of tea that Kenada had left.  
  
"I went over to see Usagi yesterday."  
  
"And."  
  
"She didn't remember you attacking her, and she wants to see you." Yaten wasn't drinking her tea but just holding her hands on either side of the mug feeling it's warmth. "Haruka told her about Kenada and everything. I don't think she knows about Mamoru yet though."  
  
"She wants to see me?" Seiya was confused. "Why?"  
  
"I don't know, but the strange part about it is that she wants ME to bring her to you." Yaten leaned back in her chair and slung her arm over the back of it. "Don't you think that's a little weird?"  
  
"I think this is all a little weird." Seiya commented. "Did you notice anything strange about her?" Her hopes began to rise when she noticed the puzzled look on Yaten's features.  
  
"I don't know. I can't tell if I just thought it was strange because I was looking for something or if it was because there was actually something there." Yaten brought her hand up to her chin in contemplation. "So? What do you say? Will you see her?"  
  
Seiya stood up from her seat. "Well we're never going to clear any of this up until I do now are we?" Yaten nodded. "What are you waiting for? Let's go and see 'Usagi'." She said putting a weird twist on the name Usagi.  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
Pounding, an incredible pounding seemed to fill her senses as she opened her eyes to peer at her surroundings. "Where am I?" Taiki asked as she sat up. Nope, better lay back down, that hurts. The sweet aroma of pastries filled the air and she thought she had fallen asleep in a bakery. Another look around the room revealed an exotic jungle of plants in every shape and size. She was on a couch in the middle of a jungle?  
  
The loud crash of a cookie sheet came from the kitchen and Makoto's head peeking around the corner followed. She had feared that she had just woken up the surely hung-over Taiki from the couch. "Gomen." She said softly.  
  
"No, I was awake." Taiki sat up. It would be rude of her to just lay there on the couch. "I was just about to leave. Thank you for letting me stay here." She said as she forced herself to get up.  
  
"Do you want me to drive you home?" Makoto asked more than concerned for her well being.  
  
"No, I'm fine." Taiki said staggering a little towards the washroom.  
  
"You're fine huh?" Makoto asked with her hands on her hips. "Why don't you stay for brunch and I'll drive you home afterwards, deal?"  
  
Taiki smiled and shook her head.  
  
"Taiki." Makoto said before she went back in the kitchen. Taiki's head picked up and turned around. "If you ever need to talk to anyone, I'll always be here to listen." They both smiled in a mutual agreement.  
  
@~~~@~~~@  
  
"You aren't upset Usako?"  
  
Usagi shook her head with a smile. "I didn't expect you to wait for me forever. I'm happy for you two.. Really."  
  
Mamoru smiled and gave her a hug. "I must admit, this isn't how I expected you to react."  
  
"Why what would you have thought me to have said?" Usagi looked puzzled.  
  
Mamoru got up and smiled as he put his jacket on. "I don't know, more along the lines of 'Mamo-chan, I waited a thousand years for you and you can't even wait two for me?'" Mamoru chuckled at the thoughts he had been conjuring up in his head about this moment.  
  
Usagi too laughed and stood up to join him. "Well, what can I say. A lot has changed in two years and so have I." She walked him to the door of Rei's shrine and just as she opened it to let him out she noticed that she had two new visitors. "Mamoru, Yaten is back with Seiya. Please don't say anything to her on your way out."  
  
Mamoru once again smiled. "You haven't changed that much. You're still willing to forgive anyone, even if they tried to kill you and you still have a soft spot for that Starlight."  
  
Usagi stood there not saying anything but then turned to open the door further to reveal her guests to Mamoru. "Hi guys!"  
  
"Did we come at a bad time?" Seiya smiled at Mamoru. Mamoru looked at Seiya with a stone face and just walked by not saying a word. Seiya felt the urge to call something after him but figured that she had more important things to take care of. "Hello Usagi." She said returning her attention back to their host.  
  
Yaten looked at Seiya with a tilted head to see if it was the same person that she had just ridden here with. Why didn't she call her Odango?  
  
"Hello, won't you guys come in?" Usagi moved out of the way to let the two girls in. "Thank you for bringing her here." She said as she came up behind Yaten.  
  
"Where's Rei? Out?" Yaten questioned noticing that they were alone. It was late morning by now and she had expected there to be signs of life around here and not just Usagi by herself. "I guess it's a good thing we came here then, you look like you could use the company."  
  
"I've got you."  
  
@~~~@~~~@ 


	7. seven

Part VII  
  
The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity. Neither Seiya nor Yaten were about to make the first move to initiate the conversation. They were impressed however at the hospitality Usagi was showing them. She was making tea and preparing a snack for them in the small kitchen off of the main room. When she returned, she did so with a smile.  
  
"So how have you guys been?" She asked as she set the tray of goods down in front of the two women. "It's been so long and I've missed everyone so much."  
  
Yaten smiled at her to show that the comment was accepted gratefully but Seiya did not and just returned a stone face to her. "Why did you leave then if you missed everyone so much?" Seiya asked as she crossed her arms. She already didn't trust this girl and she was not about to ingest anything that she offered her.  
  
"Can we please just not talk about that now? It's been a long day and it's just something I'd really rather not get into right now." Usagi's face grew almost sad. She was a convincing act to anyone but Seiya. "Let's talk about you." Her mood suddenly picked up as she grabbed a cookie from the tray.  
  
"What do you want to know?" Yaten asked. She had been silently observing Seiya's behavior towards Usagi. "Everything's about the same as when you left except we're not singing now and the obvious, we're girls." The words rolled off of her tongue like they were no big deal and would be part of any normal conversation. To her dismay though Usagi wasn't surprised at all by this comment.  
  
"Yeah, I seemed to have noticed that. I think you look much better as a woman Yaten." She smiled and turned her attention to Seiya who was next to her. "But Seiya, I think I prefer you as a man." A blush crept up into her cheeks with this statement.  
  
Seiya let out a low laugh as she contemplated ways to catch her in her game. "When I left I didn't think you preferred me in any way, shape or form?" Seiya said with a half smile.  
  
Usagi faced Seiya and by turning her body to do so she had almost shut Yaten out of the conversation completely. "You know, I always did have feelings for you. it just. it just wouldn't have been right. I knew it was wrong to feel that way. I just felt trapped. Do you know what I mean? That's why I never told anyone." Usagi looked at Seiya to see her reaction but there was none. Seiya didn't say a word and so Usagi continued. "Everything is so different now. The whole time I was gone I could do nothing but think of you and how much I missed you."  
  
Yaten shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't feel right being here now while Usagi was confessing such a thing to her friend. She looked over at Seiya to see her reaction to this. The whole situation was strange to begin with but this just brought it to a new level.  
  
Seiya's stone face had cracked and was now expressing a look of complete compassion. Did she actually feel bad for this girl? "Odango." She muttered. She tried hard to fight back the over whelming urges that she had to comfort this girl that resembled her Odango is so many ways, but at the same time she also fought back the urges to deny her presence. The conflicting battle raged on in her head until Usagi touched her.  
  
"You know. We don't have to be alone." Usagi smiled as she put her hand on Seiya's. "Do you really love that man more than me?"  
  
Kenada. Kenada. Kenada. Seiya's mind viciously repeated the name as if it was trying to remind her of the one person who she had found sanction in. Doubt hit her again as she cursed herself mentally but remained silent. What was she doing? She had her Odango. her Odango was Kenada. but wait. who is this right in front of her?. This could be her Odango. 'I have no proof of that.' She told herself as her face began to harden once again. "What did I say to you on the top of the school when you broke down crying about your Mamo-chan?" The question was asked with Seiya looking down at Usagi's hand on her own.  
  
Yaten was surprised at the sudden inquiry but could see where she was going with this. If this girl that claimed to be Usagi didn't know what was said then this would be their solid proof.  
  
Usagi smiled a sweet smile and lifted Seiya's chin up gently with her hand. "You said pretty much the same thing that I'm saying to you now. 'Am I not good enough?'" Her statement ended as almost a plea. The desperation in her voice almost mirrored that of what Seiya's had sounded like so long ago.  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
"I don't understand. What are you doing?" Kenada asked, his question seemingly falling upon deaf ears. "Seiya, please."  
  
Seiya shoved some more articles of clothing into her suitcase then her eyes scanned the room to see if there was anything else of importance that she had forgotten. When she was satisfied that she had everything she finally addressed the broken man that stood before her. "I can't stay here any more. It's just not right."  
  
Kenada moved to the side a bit as Seiya walked past him. "All of the sudden it's just not right? What happened? Where are you going?"  
  
"Stop! Just stop!" Seiya turned around fully to face Kenada after she had opened the front door. "I'm going to stay with Kakyuu. Don't call me and don't come looking for me. I have some things to figure out. I'll come to you when I'm ready to talk if I ever am. until then I don't want to see you."  
  
Kenada stood there with surprise in his eyes and was frozen in the moment. There was no sound, no movement and Seiya took this opportunity to pass through the door and close it behind her. '.if I ever am.'  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
"Have you made any progress?"  
  
"Yes, I believe that Seiya, who I now know is Star Fighter, is beginning to trust me. I was almost caught however. I didn't expect to receive the third degree, luckily for me one of the dimwits that I've seen had recapped the entire event to which she was referring to."  
  
"Yes, we are lucky. We can't not afford to take any more chances with this mission, we must speed this up and get to our goal."  
  
"They are pathetic, it is their love and compassion that makes them so weak. We will relieve them of those and all emotions soon. I will start the attack tonight."  
  
"Good, I don't care if you had other plans for any of these beings, just get rid of the ones you can as soon as possible."  
  
"But they may become suspicious if I begin to pick them off one by one. I have to see how they interact in battle once more to get the information that I need."  
  
"Very well, but remember, the sooner you do this, the sooner this planet will be ours."  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
Yaten eyed Seiya carefully. If was nice to have her back with them but under these circumstances she wasn't sure. "What did he say when you told him?" Yaten casually leaned against the doorframe.  
  
Seiya was unpacking her suitcase into the closet of her old room. It was a warm feeling that passed through her head as she thought of being home again, but now an empty feeling was also present.  
  
With no reaction or answer to her comment, Yaten spoke again. "I can't believe you just walked out on him. Do you really think some one who has no idea about any of our senshi business would understand what you're doing right now?" Yaten's tone was almost coming across as a lecture but she had put just enough sympathy into it as well to not sound too condescending. "I feel bad for that poor man. I can tell that he really loves you and what do you do to him."  
  
"Shut up!" Seiya yelled as she stood up from her work. "YOU have no idea what's going on. You have no idea what is between Kenada and I! Just stay out of it!"  
  
Just before Seiya turned back to what she was doing Yaten caught a glimpse of the pools swelling up in her eyes. She knew well enough not to press this situation any farther right now and found it best to just leave her be. She wasn't a fool, she could sense Seiya's mental frustration. "I believed you. I believed that she wasn't really Usagi. I didn't feel her star. and now you. do YOU still believe yourself?" She asked just before she left leaving Seiya alone with this thought.  
  
"I don't know what to believe any more." Seiya whispered to herself in the dimly lit room, out of range of Yaten's ears.  
  
Yaten walked away from Seiya's room and towards the door. Taiki and Kakyuu were sitting in the living room reading. Kakyuu's head picked up as she noticed the movement in the previously still room. "Where are you going?"  
  
Yaten turned to face her as she picked her jacket off of the coat rack. "Out."  
  
"You're going to see him aren't you?" Kakyuu questioned having now set down her reading.  
  
"Is that wrong?" Yaten asked now putting her jacket on.  
  
"Don't you think that if Seiya had wanted him to understand the situation she would have explained it herself?"  
  
"Seiya doesn't know what she wants and I can't stand to think of that poor man suffering."  
  
"Since when do you care about the insignificant people of this planet suffering? Isn't that how you described them? Insignificant?" Kakyuu's tone was smart but the look she gave Yaten was even more twisted.  
  
Yaten didn't really know how to react to this comment but soon found the thoughts and then words to do so. "I started caring about those 'insignificant people' as soon as I became one of them on this planet. Besides, I don't think some one that has a star within them that bright should have it dulled by a fool like Seiya!"  
  
Kakyuu sat back amazed at what she had just heard escape her Starlight's mouth but had no time to counter it before she was out the door. As her thoughts caught up to her she felt a smile spread across her lips. 'You're becoming stronger.'  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
Kenada sat, now a shell of the man that he used to be, on the floor of his dark hallway. Nothing really seemed to matter right now, and that included where he chose to rest. She was gone and he didn't know why. Was the trust they had between them really now just a mirage? What happened to the love that she had found? Why now had Seiya just decided to give up on her, and without an explanation? These questions which only brought about more questions, flowed in and out of his mind as he sat in the dark.  
  
There was a sound at the door. Kenada made no motion to move and stayed firmly planted in his seat. Again the noise was present but this time it was followed by the creek of the door opening. "Hello? Kenada?" The voice echoed through the lifeless apartment.  
  
Yaten? Why is she here now?  
  
Yaten made her way into the apartment cautiously. If Kenada was here she didn't want him to think she was sneaking up on him. She called his name again but received no answer. "Stupid Seiya." She cursed.  
  
"Hello Yaten." Kenada stood up and walked into the light of the living room. His tone was less than cheerful and every inch of his presence reflected the state that his mind was in.  
  
Yaten smiled as he approached. "I don't really know why I'm here. I guess I was just worried about you. I mean, I know how Seiya can be some times and I just wanted to know if you needed to talk about anything." Her voice was soft and calming.  
  
Since when does she care about how other people feel? "Thank you for your concern." Kenada said with a smile. "But I'm alright. You shouldn't worry about me."  
  
Yaten smirked a bit at his comment, it was an obvious lie and she knew it. "Really?" A hint of sarcasm was carried in her voice. She wasn't about to go anywhere and leave him like this so she sat down on the couch and made herself comfortable before he could ask her to leave.  
  
"Really." Kenada said firmly but seemed amused at Yaten's assumption. He knew what she was trying to do and he wasn't really in the mood to play this game right now. "I just want to be alone."  
  
"Can I say something first?" Yaten stood as she caught on that she wasn't welcome and her plan to get around his defenses wasn't going to work. "I can see a very bright light in you. You truly shine and if Seiya can't see that then I don't think you really need her."  
  
Kenada was taken aback by her words and muttered something almost incoherent under her breath but Yaten caught it. "Yes I do."  
  
This man, a vision of perfection in anyone's eyes, this man who shone so bright, this man who seemed to have one of the purest hearts was about to break down. Yaten didn't want to see him crumble and walked to him and embraced him for support.  
  
It felt good to feel the reassuring touch of a friend. This was something that Kenada hadn't felt in a long time. The only person he had to run to was Seiya and now she was gone. "I just don't understand." He said as his face was buried in her shoulder.  
  
He did it, he opened up to her. Now she could help. "It's alright." Yaten pulled back a bit from their position to look at his face. "Do you know where Seiya and I went today?" She asked searching for an answer in his face. He shook his head 'no'. "We went to see Usagi. I'm sure she must have mentioned her before to you. right?"  
  
Kenada knew that he couldn't tell Yaten his secret, especially not now and decided to play dumb. "Yes she's mentioned her briefly."  
  
"Briefly? Ha! You're lucky, that's all I had to hear about from her before we moved back here!" She didn't know how he would take any of this as she didn't know him very well to begin with but she did feel a certain connection with him as though she had known him a long time ago. 'So familiar.' "Well, Usagi has been gone for a long time and when she came back she wanted to see Seiya. When I took Seiya to see her today Usagi professed her love to her and I think Seiya had a hard time saying no."  
  
Kenada's frame stiffened. What was happening? Was he stuck in some twisted episode of the Twilight Zone? That was the last thought that he remembered thinking before all of his thoughts over whelmed him and his mind started to race and spin. "But. but."  
  
"I'm sorry." Yaten said coming a bit closer to him. He looked as though he could pass out at any second. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you this but I knew Seiya wouldn't. I don't know anyone that could compete with the love that Seiya has for Usagi."  
  
'Love for Usagi? But I am Usagi. aren't I? I've been Kenada so long. am I really still that innocent girl?'  
  
Yaten moved in quickly as she saw Kenada start to collapse. She caught him in her arms before he hit the floor. There was sweat on his brow, Yaten pulled a cloth from her pocket to wipe it but before she could he began to glow. "What the." Yaten muttered. Soon Yaten found Usagi laying in her arms unconscious where Kenada had just been. 


	8. eight

1 Part VIII  
  
   
  
The wind was cold on the way home. Loose papers that had been scattered along the street seemed to come to life with the slightest breeze that came and lifted them from their resting place. Yaten's mind raced. Images of what she had just witnessed raced through her head and unimaginable conclusions came from them. What was going on? Had Seiya seen what she had? She had to get home to talk to Seiya. Yaten knew that Seiya had to have known. That was really Usagi, she could feel it.  
  
   
  
It took what felt like an eternity to make it up to their apartment and when she finally made it there was no sign of Seiya anywhere. "Where did she go?" Yaten asked flatly as she finished her search.  
  
   
  
"She said she was going over to see Usagi, why?" Taiki asked momentarily looking up from her book. It was good to see her reading again. Before she had found comfort in her readings and lectures and the others began to get worried when she resorted to alcohol to solve her problems instead.  
  
   
  
"WHAT!" Yaten screeched. "She can't do that. We can't leave her alone with her!" There was desperation in her tone, the kind that Taiki hadn't heard since the last time they were on Earth and they were searching for their princess.  
  
   
  
"Why not? It's only Usagi." Taiki was confused to say the least, if anything she thought that Yaten would be happy for Seiya to have found her again and to finally be getting the attention from her of which she craved.  
  
   
  
Yaten hurriedly threw her jacket back on which she had only taken off moments ago. "That's not Usagi. Seiya's in trouble. We have to go, NOW!"  
  
   
  
Taiki wasn't quite sure what she was talking about but knew that she was serious and got up from her seat on the couch to follow Yaten out the door.  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
   
  
Everyone was out for the day, which left Seiya and Usagi at the temple alone. Seiya sat on the couch waiting for Usagi to return from her errands in the kitchen. It was uncomfortable but yet the greatest feeling in the world that she had at that moment. This was the only thing she had thought of since she first met Usagi so long ago and now her dream was coming true.  
  
   
  
Usagi came into the room and noticed Seiya's eyes on her immediately, she smiled at her and took her seat beside the girl. "What are you thinking about?" She asked innocently enough.  
  
   
  
Seiya smiled as she looked at her face. She was so perfect, just the way she had remembered her. "I was just thinking how nice it was to be able to be here with you." She said with her signature charm.  
  
   
  
Usagi smiled and brought her head over to rest in the curve of Seiya's neck. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing." The moment was perfect. "You have no idea how much I missed you." Usagi said as she brought her head up to look into Seiya's eyes.  
  
   
  
Without hesitation but with much anticipation Seiya lifted the smaller girl's chin up and brought her face close to hers. She slowly closed her eyes as their lips met in a long awaited kiss. Usagi allowed herself to melt into Seiya's arms as Seiya deepened the kiss. Seiya's hand lightly brushed Usagi's delicate cheek and Usagi brought her hand up to rest on her chest. When their kiss was broken each sat and stared in wonder at the other.  
  
   
  
Usagi leaned back in for another kiss but Seiya hesitated slightly before allowing her to proceed. What was she doing? Why would she hesitate to kiss this girl that she has dreamt of for so long? Was she still thinking about Kenada? What a fool she had been to allow herself to fall in love with that man. Wait, the only reason that she thought she loved him was because she believed that he was Usagi. What a malicious game to play with some one's heart.  
  
   
  
Usagi broke away from the kiss to look at Seiya with a strange glare in her eyes. "Where were you?" She asked as she removed herself from the other girl.  
  
   
  
"What do you mean? When?" Seiya was stunned that their kiss had suddenly been broken and by the question she was suddenly faced with.  
  
   
  
"Just a moment ago, where were you? I was here but your mind was somewhere else." There was a tinge of annoyance in her voice.  
  
   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Seiya said trying to look perplexed. She knew exactly what she was talking about. Her mind was on Kenada, but why did her thoughts of him have to continue to plague her? She knew the truth now why didn't she feel animosity towards him? Why did she feel so empty without him?  
  
   
  
Usagi's face softened as she took Seiya's hand in her own. "I'd like to think that you want to be here with me, but if you don't please don't stay and hurt me." She said with a note of sadness in her tone.  
  
   
  
"I would never do anything to hurt you!" There was shock in her voice. Seiya moved closer to take the girl in her arms. "And I do want to be here with you, I've always wanted to be here with you." She said as she pulled away one more time to see the reaction on Usagi's face.  
  
   
  
Taiki and Yaten stormed in the room as Seiya and Usagi locked themselves in another kiss. "Seiya! What are you doing?" Yaten yelled.  
  
   
  
Yaten's voice was a sobering agent for Seiya's thoughts as her head snapped up. "What are you doing here?" She asked blushing a bit as she realized what she had just been caught doing.  
  
   
  
"Hello Yaten, Taiki." Usagi gave them a small wave.  
  
   
  
Yaten just looked at Usagi like she was the lowest thing on the face of this Earth and quickly made her way over to grab Seiya by the arm. "We need to talk. NOW!" She said leaving no room for disagreement.  
  
   
  
"Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of Usagi, you know that." Seiya replied trying to free her arm from Yaten's hold.  
  
   
  
Yaten tightened her grip as Taiki looked on. "I would much rather speak to you in private if you don't mind." Yaten hissed between clenched teeth.  
  
   
  
Seiya's eyes narrowed and then she looked over at Taiki to see if she could tell what this situation was all about. All that she saw in Taiki's face was confusion. Seiya stood, seeing no other alternative but to comply with Yaten's demand. "Alright." She said finally receiving her arm back from the shorter girl. "Will you excuse me for a minute?" Seiya asked Usagi with a smile to let her know that everything was alright. Usagi nodded and the two walked away leaving Taiki with her.  
  
   
  
"What the hell is this all about?" Seiya demanded when she was sure they were out of hearing range.  
  
   
  
"I should be asking you the same thing." Yaten retorted with more than a pissed look on her face. "What the hell are you thinking?"  
  
   
  
Seiya was shocked, she had no idea why Yaten would be acting this way, then her thoughts drifted to Kenada again. "I thought you would be thrilled now that Kenada was single." Seiya's answer was said with a smart sarcastic edge.  
  
   
  
Yaten's eyes blazed as she rose her hand to smack Seiya across the face. Her breathing increased. "You're such an ass!" She boomed. "You left him behind without even a second thought!"  
  
   
  
The welt was already starting to form on Seiya's cheek as she held her hand up over it. "You have no idea what is going on. don't lecture me." Seiya's voice dropped as she turned so that Yaten couldn't see her face.  
  
   
  
"Look at me!" Yaten's hand spun Seiya around by the shoulder to face her. "You don't think I know what's going on? Huh?" She reached her hand out to slide the door open to the next room where Taiki and Usagi were sitting. "Look in there. tell me what you see." She pointed to the two on the couch.  
  
   
  
"I see Odango and Taiki." She said plainly not fully understanding what she was getting at.  
  
   
  
"Really. Now what do you see when you look at Kenada?" Yaten questioned closing the door.  
  
   
  
"What are you getting at? Why do you keep bringing him into this?" Seiya was becoming frustrated with Yaten's irrational string of questions.  
  
   
  
"I went to Kenada's house today to see if he was alright." Yaten backed away from her friend a bit. "He wasn't. the man was completely disheveled and he seemed to be going out of his mind. He started becoming short of breath and looked as though he was going to faint. I moved quickly up behind him to break his fall. I took a good look at him yesterday. I took a long, good look at 'Kenada' yesterday and do you know what I saw?" Yaten paused to see if Seiya was going to dare reply to her question, or if she was going to react to the strange twist she had put on his name.  
  
   
  
She didn't, Seiya's face was turned down, she was ashamed of herself and what her actions had caused Kenada. It was her fault that he was suffering and alone. just the way he didn't want to be.  
  
   
  
"I know what Kenada really is." Yaten spoke barely above a whisper.  
  
   
  
Seiya's eyes came up to meet Yaten's and Yaten saw the tears in her eyes that she hadn't seen in so long.  
  
   
  
"You said it yourself. that's not Usagi. why are you here?" Yaten came up close to her friend for reassurance.  
  
To Yaten's surprise however Seiya's mood suddenly shifted. "What do you mean why am I here? Look out there." Seiya pointed to the door. "That's my Odango, that's my Odango who wants me here. I'll do anything for her, or haven't you figured that out yet?"  
  
   
  
"Then why did you leave her?" Yaten asked lowly as not to raise Seiya's anger any more than she had to.  
  
   
  
"I didn't leave her, I came to her. Kenada is Kenada. Odango is Odango. I know the truth I can see it with my own eyes!" Seiya got up wanting nothing more to do with this conversation and moved towards the door.  
  
   
  
"But can you feel it with your own heart?." Yaten said still standing across the room from where Seiya had left her.  
  
   
  
Seiya didn't turn to face her instead walked through the door and back into the living room.  
  
   
  
"Oh Seiya, I hope you know what you're doing."  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
   
  
Kenada's house was on the way. Yaten was already out of breath, she was panting and fighting to run as fast as she could. Good, the lights were on. She didn't bother knocking and just let herself in. It sounded like a cyclone in the small apartment as Yaten ran through it quickly searching for any signs of Kenada.  
  
   
  
"Yaten? What are you doing here?" Kenada asked not really caring from his seat next to the window.  
  
   
  
"Kenada. you have to come with me." Yaten stopped and tried to catch her breath. Her chest was heaving up and down with each deep breath she took.  
  
   
  
Kenada began to express interest in the situation at hand. "Wait slow down. what are you talking about?" He asked curiously as he came to stand next to her.  
  
   
  
"Se. Seiya's in trouble." She finally got out when her breath caught up with her. "A new enemy showed up. she's fighting besides that fake Sailor Moon. I know it, I know something is going to happen to her." Yaten's eyes were searching Kenada's face to see how he felt or for any sort of reaction. Her eyes were wide and dancing with fear. She was scared. She was actually scared. She didn't know if Kenada would actually come and help her after what Seiya had done to him. But he had to, he just had to.  
  
   
  
"Sailor Moon?" Kenada asked dumbly resorting back to his nonchalant approach to the conversation. "I thought Sailor Moon was a good person? That's what I heard at least." Kenada was about to turn away from her to go back to what he had previously been doing but Yaten's hand stopped him.  
  
   
  
"Usagi. please. I know you still love her. please don't let your pride get in the way of saving her." Yaten said but then noticed that Kenada was about to play dumb with her again. "Yes, that's right I know who you are. You passed out in my arms earlier and changed back. I put you to bed and left."  
  
   
  
Kenada's face dropped. "What can I do? How do I know that girl isn't really the real Sailor Moon? Maybe I am the fake and I'm just finding it out now. Maybe I was lied to. I screwed everything up so far, this wouldn't be such a big surprise."  
  
   
  
Yaten's eyes widened with surprise, her hands came up to rest on Kenada's shoulders. "You are the real thing. You are the girl who saved all of us from Galaxia all of those years ago. I can feel the brightness of your star and now I know that's how Seiya found you."  
  
   
  
Seiya. Without another word Kenada rushed into the bedroom and grabbed Eternal Sailor Moon's broach. Kenada and Yaten transformed in a brilliant flash of light. When they were done Sailor Moon pulled Healer into a warm embrace to thank her for bringing her back to her senses. "Now let's go save Seiya!"  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
  


	9. nine

Part IX  
  
   
  
Having these limbs back again was a wonderful feeling. Every movement that she made seemed so graceful, it was not like having the cumbersome limbs of a man. No she was a woman again and her light, delicate form passed through the night with ease. Healer was close beside her mimicking every movement that she made to easily cross the tops of the city buildings.  
  
   
  
The nightscape was spectacular and she felt alive again with the exhilarating rush that she was receiving. They were nearing the area where the others would be battling. Healer dashed in front of Sailor Moon and perched herself on a nearby roof-top.  
  
   
  
(AN: the Kenada Sailor Moon will be referred to as SM and the faux Sailor Moon will be referred to as FSM. I'll try not to confuse you too much ^_^)  
  
   
  
SM came up behind her and whispered quietly to her. "What's going on?"  
  
   
  
Healer didn't take her eyes off of the scene below. It was hard to make out anything with all of the fog that was present. A few flashing lights, power calls and then there was nothing. "Something's wrong. Everything just stopped."  
  
   
  
"We should go down there." SM said as she stood up from her crouched position and prepared herself to leap from the structure.  
  
   
  
"Wait." Healer's arm caught hers. "We can't just barge in there, we'll sneak behind from over there," Her finger pointed out to their destination just in her sights. "and come around from that direction. That way we can get a good look of what's going on without being noticed." SM nodded and went on her way.  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
   
  
"Neptune!" Uranus screamed as she saw that she had been captured. A tall woman with a long fitted black dress held her captive. The woman's arms wrapped around her neck and her waist while pulling her chin up to expose her throat.  
  
   
  
"I don't know why you try and counter me Sailor Uranus."  
  
   
  
"Oi, oi. don't be so full of yourself." Uranus looked at her sideways.  
  
   
  
"I know all of your secrets and I know just how to hurt you." She smiled evilly as she tightened her hold on Neptune.  
  
   
  
Neptune stood silently not even gasping for air, which she so desperately needed. Uranus's emotions surged through her and threatened to get the best of her. Her chest heaved with each breath as she contemplated what to do. She couldn't use her powers or she would risk Neptune being hit also. No matter how good Neptune was she would never be able to free herself in time to miss the oncoming attack. Uranus's eyes narrowed as her space sword appeared in her hand. Where was everyone else? The thought crossed her mind but she didn't dwell too long on it as her Neptune needed her.  
  
   
  
The distance between Uranus and the woman holding Neptune hadn't seemed so great when she had begun her attack but it now appeared that the distance was growing greater. Uranus ran with all of her speed and power and the farther away her target seemed to get the greater her speed and power. Finally she began to gain on the fleeting Neptune. With her sword raised above her head she let out a scream as the blade came plummeting down into the chest of the woman in black.  
  
   
  
As the sword penetrated her body her face twisted into a dark and evil smile. It actually sent a chill up Uranus's spine as she stepped back in horror. As the woman let go of Neptune, her form disappeared before it hit the ground. The woman pulled the space sword from her bloody chest and held it out in front of her asking one question. "Why?" She staggered towards Uranus who wasn't moving, holding the sword in both of her hands with a complete look of betrayal on her face. When her weight took over and her strength gave out she collapsed into Uranus's arms.  
  
   
  
Uranus was too shocked to respond to any of this and just looked down at the woman in horror. She picked her head up briefly to look around for the fallen Neptune but saw no sign of her. When she looked back down however she found a bloody Neptune in her arms, lying in her lap. "No, Neptune." Uranus began to panic as she didn't understand what was going on. What happened? Where did that woman go?  
  
   
  
Neptune turned her head up and opened her eyes. "Why?" She asked just before she slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
   
  
An evil laughter echoed through the room and the woman from before appeared standing in front of the two senshi. "I told you. I know all of your secrets and I know just how to hurt you. all of you." She laughed as chains appeared on Uranus and Neptune's wrists, ankles and necks. "Stay here while I round up your friends." The woman smiled smugly as she once again disappeared into the darkness.  
  
   
  
"Oh Neptune." Uranus began to cry over her limp body. "How could I have not seen this?"  
  
   
  
Neptune responded by opening her eyes. "It's alright. I know you didn't mean to."  
  
   
  
"You'll be alright, ne?"  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
   
  
Mercury's form lay motionless on the ground before Maker. Maker examined the area to see what had hit her and if there was any threat to her. There appeared to be no one around and who ever or whatever had done this to Mercury must have left her for dead. Maker cautiously walked over to the fallen Mercury.  
  
   
  
Her knee bent and Maker knelt down beside the blue haired girl. "Mercury?" she shook her lightly. There was no response. Maker being the wise and sensible senshi that she was took her glove off and ran her fingers down Mercury's wrist to feel for a pulse. To her relief she found one.  
  
   
  
Just as Maker let out her sigh of relief she felt fingers close in around her neck. Her eyes flew open and she looked straight into the face of her assailant. It was Mercury. "Nice to see you again Maker." She said sadisticly. "Maleficent figured that I was the best person to kill you. Does it hurt?"  
  
   
  
Maker struggled to get free her fingers slipped and clawed at Mercury's gloved hand as she tried to loosen the other girl's hold on her. "What are you doing?"  
  
   
  
"Does it hurt?" Mercury asked again. "Not so much the pain of your life slipping away, but instead the pain in the fact that it will be me. the one you love that kills you?"  
  
   
  
Maker's face turned to an expression of distaste as she stopped struggling when she realized that it was hopeless and that it wasn't really Mercury. "Yes." Maker breathed out.  
  
   
  
This single word seemed to please her captor more than anything. She tightened her hold on the taller girls throat as a man stepped out from the shadows behind her. Tuxedo Kamen came up behind her and encircled his arms around her waist. Maker was forced to look on the scene as he planted small kisses up Mercury's neck.  
  
   
  
Just when Maker felt as though she couldn't take it anymore she was knocked free from Mercury's hold and fell to the ground.  
  
   
  
"You're not Mercury." Jupiter said as she stood between Tuxedo Kamen, Mercury and Maker. "Mercury would never do that." She crossed her arms around her chest as she began to spin. "JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION"  
  
   
  
The attack was sent all around the room but above Maker's head saving her from the power. Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen were unaffected by the attack and proceeded to counter it almost immediately. "Would Mercury do this?" Mercury asked as a sword appeared in her hands and was thrust through Jupiter's midsection.  
  
   
  
"NO!" Maker screamed out in terror. "STOP!"  
  
   
  
"Oh it will end soon enough." Tuxedo Kamen laughed as chains appeared on Jupiter and Maker in the same fashion as Neptune and Uranus'.  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
   
  
Venus was sitting at a booth in Crown when she noticed an explosion outside of the window. She pulled her transformational pen out and was about to say her phrase when she noticed that she was already in her sailor fuku. "What?" She looked down at herself.  
  
   
  
Realizing that wasn't really what was important at the moment she rushed out to see what was going on outside. Healer was in a battle with a woman in a long black fitted dress. "See it's no good, she came anyway." The woman said to Healer as she fired another shot at her.  
  
   
  
Healer looked over in Venus's direction. "RUN!" She called out before firing back a shot.  
  
   
  
Venus was confused and stood there like a deer in headlights. What was going on? She turned around to see the building she had just come from but it was gone and fog replaced it.  
  
   
  
"You can't return to that sweet dream now my dear." The woman said to Venus as she noticed what she was doing. "Your friend here foolishly tried to save you by putting you there where I couldn't get you but you found your way to us anyway."  
  
   
  
Healer winched at the pain in her arm as she had been hit before. Venus rushed to her side seeing that there was no way for her to escape and nowhere for her to run. "You shouldn't have come." Healer said looking at her with a smile.  
  
   
  
"I had to come, I felt drawn here. I know now that it was because of you." Venus smiled back.  
  
   
  
"Isn't this touching." She mocked their moment. "Are you ready?" She asked putting her hands on her hips. "Too bad, here I come."  
  
   
  
The attack headed straight for Healer but before it hit her it passed straight through Venus's body. Healer opened her eyes and saw Venus's pained expression before she collapsed on top of her. "Again." Healer muttered. "You've sacrificed yourself for me, again."  
  
   
  
Just as they had done before, the chains appeared on Venus and Healer.  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
   
  
"Where am I?" Mars asked as she made her way through the blinding fog. Her arms were stretched out in front of her to assure her safe passage through the area. There were no signs of anyone around her but a sudden feeling of evil encased the area around her. It was stagnant and foul and tried to make it's way into her being. "What do you want?" She spun around aimlessly calling out the force behind this surge.  
  
   
  
"What do I want?" The voice asked still having no face to put with it. "Isn't it obvious?. I want you senshi dead!" The last part was said with force and conviction as a figure came from the shadows of the mist to lunge at Mars' throat.  
  
   
  
Mars struggled to free herself from the hold that the being had on her. She couldn't use her powers since her captor had her from behind.  
  
   
  
"You're pathetic, you have the thought in your head that you can beat me?" The voice asked from behind. "I know all of the secrets of the senshi, but you, there was no one I could use to turn against you, to twist around to defeat you. You love them all and that will be your downfall." The thing, whatever or whoever it was released her into the complete oblivion of the dark fog.  
  
   
  
"Rei-chan? What are you doing? Come and stay with me." Usagi appeared before her in her school fuku and a smile.  
  
   
  
"Usagi?" Mars asked incredulously.  
  
   
  
"We saved you special seats to our next recital." Michiru smiled at her holding Haruka's hand in one hand and her violin case in the other. Everyone was there surrounding Mars in a circle.  
  
   
  
"Minna? What happened?"  
  
   
  
Without any further warning the circle began to grow smaller as her 'friends' closed in on her and prevented her escape. The civilian senshi changed in a blink of an eye into their sailor fukus threatening to attack. Their power calls rang into the night air clearly and Mars knew this was going to be the end if she didn't do something quick. She turned in circles to look at their faces. Her eyes stopped on the Sailor Moon. "MARS" Her flaming bow appeared in her hands "FLAME" as her fingers drew back the arrow of fire bringing it across her chest and putting all the feeling that she had into it. The release. "SNIPER"  
  
   
  
The arrow soared straight for Sailor Moon as the others around her disappeared. The look of shock was burned into Mars' eyes as she stood and stared at the fallen girl.  
  
   
  
"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"  
  
   
  
The attack hit her square in the back and Mars was thrown across the room. "F.Fighter." she managed to mutter out before the blood from the cut on her forehead began to seep into her eyes.  
  
   
  
Fighter appeared out of the darkness and rushed over to where Sailor Moon had fallen. Mars tried to struggle to her feet. Sailor Moon saw this and grabbed Fighter close to her. "It's an illusion, she did this, that's the enemy." She said to Fighter as she smiled evilly towards Mars.  
  
   
  
Fighter stood up leaving the crumpled Sailor Moon behind and faced her attention to Mars. "I don't know how you thought you could hurt her and get away with it." She said as she walked closer to Mars. Her target was clear, she didn't even stop to think for a second that Sailor Moon would have been lying to her.  
  
   
  
Mars was still weak from the blast she had just received from Fighter, she couldn't make it to her feet. Not to worry though because Fighter helped her up by placing her hand around her neck and lifting her from the ground.  
  
   
  
"NO!" A voice came from the darkness, but it was a familiar voice this time.  
  
   
  
Fighter's attention turned over to the fallen Sailor Moon and she just shrugged. It hadn't been her who called for her to stop, who was here now? Seeing that Mars would be of no threat to her, Fighter dropped her to the ground and headed towards the voice.  
  
"Fighter? What did you do?" SM appeared from the shadows holding her broach. She looked over at Mars on the ground off to the side and immediately went to her aid not even noticing FSM behind Fighter.  
  
   
  
Fighter's head quickly swiveled back and forth from one Sailor Moon to the other. Which one was the real one? She didn't know any more.  
  
   
  
SM held Mars in her arms as her gloved hand came up to touch her face. "I knew that wasn't really you. Please don't leave me again. Will you stay with me this time?" Mars asked before she disappeared in SM's arms.  
  
   
  
"REI!!!" SM screamed as tears began to come to her eyes. When every last speck of light that had once made up Rei's body had vanished she stood with tear filled eyes.  
  
   
  
FSM stood also coming up behind Fighter. Fighter didn't make any motion to go near either one of them.  
  
   
  
"Fighter why?" SM asked while continuing to cry. "Why would you do this to Mars?"  
  
   
  
Fighter's face fell, she couldn't stand the sight of her Odango crying, even if she didn't know if she was the real thing or not. A heart wrenching feeling swelled in her body. Had she done wrong? Had she done something to hurt her Odango?  
  
   
  
An evil laughter filled the space they were in and the woman in the black dress appeared before them. "You are the last of the senshi. What a weak and pathetic challenge you have made." The woman hovered above them. "The human race is now ours for the taking, and I Maleficent will dictate how this planet shall be formed." Her arms were raised above her showing her power and expected victory.  
  
   
  
"You can't own the human race." SM shouted at her. "That's wrong."  
  
   
  
Not to be out done FSM began to lecture Maleficent too. "That's right. I will not allow you to do as you wish to this planet or the people that live here."  
  
   
  
SM was shocked to hear these words come from FSM's mouth. Fighter had now turned her attention from the Sailor Moons and was now on Maleficent. Whichever one was real, she would end up having to defend both of them. "STAR SERIOUS LASER"  
  
   
  
The attack did nothing and was reflected back to hit SM. She lay crippled on the ground hurt badly from the attack. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hit her?" Maleficent asked sarcastically. "Do you want to try again?" She mocked Fighter.  
  
   
  
Fighter looked in awe at what her power had done to SM and didn't dare think of firing another shot. "No."  
  
   
  
"It's true, your love and compassion are your weakness. The entire human race has the same weakness. Your feelings. I will take them away from you, an army can't have feelings. An army should do as they are told without any second thoughts." Maleficent took an invisible seat in the air as she proceeded to explain her plans to the senshi below her.  
  
   
  
"I've spent years devising a way to biogenically engineer the human race to meet my strict requirements. It was too much of an endeavor to create a new race, and instead much easier to just manipulate an already existing one. You will become my work horses and reshape this planet the way that I see fit."  
  
   
  
"My kind can not live in this filth that you've created on this planet so therefore we will be giving you the task of cleaning it so that we may come and inhabit it. As you cannot do this with your current strength and bodies, we will engineer you to have better, stronger ones. Then we will take away all thoughts that you have, all thoughts and feelings you ever thought you could have will be gone. A worker that has no thoughts or feelings can not bring about an uprising now can they?"  
  
   
  
SM stood up from her crumpled state on the ground to defy the woman. "Well there's just one thing you forgot in your 'perfect' little plan." Maleficent looked at her questioningly. "You forgot that I'm here and that I'm not going to let you do as you wish!" SM's tier appeared before her as she closed her eyes. "SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER KISS!"  
  
   
  
The brilliant light filled the area and dissipated the fog that surrounded them. The buildings and various other city objects were now visible around them but Maleficent seemed unharmed.  
  
   
  
"What was that?" Maleficent questioned looking at SM with fear in her eyes. "You were supposed to be gone."  
  
   
  
"Well I'm not!" SM looked confident as she came up to stand in front of Fighter and FSM.  
  
   
  
"No, you've been gone for so long. I thought you were dead?" Maleficent's fear was apparent and so was her weakness.  
  
   
  
"SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER KISS!" Her attack once again soared towards Maleficent. This time however it did some damage. Maleficent fell towards the Earth as she panted for air. The space around them began to crumble as the ground split open in various places.  
  
   
  
The violent shaking caused the senshi to fall to the ground also and FSM took this opportunity to attack SM while Fighter was preoccupied. With a single flick of her wrist she caused a sharp rock to come up behind SM. The rock was hurled with great force at SM's back. Just before it hit her, the ground opened up behind FSM and caused her to fall desperately into the gorge behind her. With only her fingertips for support she hung there.  
  
   
  
The rock finally came in contact with SM as she bent over to try and help up FSM. If Seiya really loved this girl then she couldn't rightly let her die. SM was also knocked into the gorge and was too hanging on with only her fingers.  
  
   
  
The two Sailor Moons hung there in peril with no way out and death pulling at their feet in the form of gravity. Their holds were threatening to give out at the same time until Fighter's hands reached over to save them at the last minute.  
  
   
  
SM and FSM looked up to see Fighter's strained face looking down at them. She had blood trickling down her temple and looked as though she had been hit pretty badly. Fighter knew she didn't have much strength left but was going to fight this with every last ounce of her being. When the burning in her muscles became too much she knew that she could only save one of them or lose both of them.  
  
   
  
"It's ok." SM smiled at Fighter dangling from one of her arms. "You can let me go. If you truly love this girl then I don't want to be the one to hold you back. let me help you save her. just let go."  
  
   
  
"But I can't." Fighter struggled.  
  
   
  
"You have to let one of us go!" FSM shrieked from her other arm.  
  
   
  
SM smiled at Fighter once again. "Maybe she really is the real thing. maybe she really is that girl that you loved so long ago. I don't blame you for not thinking I am that same girl from way back when. I don't really know if I am." Tears began to form in SM's eyes. "All I know is that whoever I am now, be it Usagi or Kenada I will always love you."  
  
   
  
FSM looked over at SM in awe and felt a drop fall on her cheek. She looked up to see Fighter crying and allowing her tears to fall on her face. "Fighter?" FSM asked. Fighter turned her eyes to look directly in her face.  
  
   
  
"I'm sorry." She said. "If you truly are Usagi, I'm sorry. I can't live in the past and I know that now, right now, I love Kenada. I love him even if he isn't Usagi."  
  
   
  
There was a shear look of terror on FSM's face as she felt her hand and hold slipping from Fighters. She looked at Fighter's face as she closed her eyes and released her hand. FSM changed into a woman that resembled Maleficent but with a red dress before she plummeted into the darkness below.  
  
   
  
SM watched as the woman disappeare and knew at that moment for sure that she was the one and only Sailor Moon. She turned her gaze back up to look at Fighter's face and saw that her eyes were open and that she had seen the whole thing and also knew that she had made the right decision even if there was any doubt in her mind. 


	10. ten

Part X  
  
   
  
All around them was darkness and the horrible rumblings of the concrete of the city. Fighter struggled to pull Sailor Moon up onto the stable ground which she was sitting on. Fighter was met with a warm embrace from SM and all of the fear she had left her body at that moment, but it wasn't over.  
  
   
  
"You insolent little fools." Maleficent came up behind them hacking and choking on the dusty air. She was in pretty bad shape and didn't appear to have much strength left. ". My sister. my beautiful little sister. you killed her and now I will kill you. Sailor Moon!" Maleficent tucked her arms around her body and began to glow with a dark aura.  
  
   
  
Fighter looked at SM to see what her reaction was and to her surprise she saw her looking up defiantly at the woman. Fighter knew that she herself had no strength left to fight and if she tried to intervene she would just become a burden on SM's ability.  
  
   
  
SM stood up strong and firm, not wavering at all under Maleficent's glare. "You tried to ruin this planet and all of the people on it that I love. I will not allow you to do any further damage to anything that I hold dear. I'm sorry but this is where it ends." SM held her tier up above her head with both hands and secured her hold on it. Fighter watched, half crippled below.  
  
   
  
Maleficent laughed a bit at her remark and caused SM to falter a bit. "You are a walking contradiction." SM stopped what she was doing to give Maleficent a puzzled look. "The planet and people you love? Don't make me laugh. If you loved all of them so much then why did you leave them?"  
  
   
  
SM's arms slowly started to lower from above her head. Fighter noticed her falter and became more concerned. Was she doubting herself? No, not now, she couldn't.  
  
   
  
Maleficent laughed once again as she continued her lecture of Sailor Moon. "I don't understand why you were so mad that my dear sister posed as you in your absence. You left that life behind, why should you care if some one else should take it up?"  
  
   
  
Fighter stared straight at Maleficent who seemed to be growing stronger by the minute. Her previous injuries began to heal and she looked as though her full strength would be returned to her. If SM kept stalling then there was no way they would be able to defeat her. Her thoughts were broken when she heard a whisper from SM's lips.  
  
   
  
"What was that?" Maleficent asked sarcastically cupping her ear to hear better.  
  
   
  
SM stood shaking while looking down at the ground holding her tier. Her eyes rose up and met with Maleficent's. Fighter could have sworn she had seen Maleficent cringe. "I said I was wrong." SM said with confidence. "Even though I made a mistake, it's not too late to fix it though." She brought her tier back up above her head and this time it didn't seem as though she was going to be deterred this time.  
  
   
  
"I've taken care of all of your friends, all of those innocent people that you claim to love. They're all gone." Maleficent stated her previous deeds, but didn't have the same conviction that she possessed with many of her earlier statements.  
  
   
  
SM smiled at her as her tier began to glow. "No, they're not gone. The Starlights told me that as long as I believe no one can ever be gone." The look of shock on Maleficent's face was priceless as the melodic voice of SM ripped through the damp dark sky.  
  
   
  
"SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER KISS"  
  
   
  
There was no escaping the blast and Maleficent knew it.  
  
   
  
The Earth ceased and an eary stillness hung in the air. SM dropped her arms to her side when her attack and the brilliance of her power was gone. She fell to her knees and placed her hands in front of her on the ground. Fighter did her best to make her way over to her. It looked like she was crying until Fighter picked up her chin and saw that she had a smile on her face. "I'm back." Is all that she said before wrapping her arms tightly around Fighter.  
  
   
  
"I knew it wasn't you." Mars said stumbling up from their left. The quiet moment was now invaded by the sound of footsteps coming up from all around them.  
  
   
  
The planetary senshi along with Healer, Maker and Tuxedo Kamen stood around the two on the ground. SM smiled warmly at them all, but most of all at Mars. "Thank you for believing in me."  
  
   
  
"I always will." Mars smiled back as she watched SM get to her feet and help Fighter to join her side.  
  
   
  
One by one the senshi dehenshined. Lastly were Fighter and SM. Before she changed SM shot Fighter a smile. When her transformation faded Kenada stood before the group. Everyone's mouths dropped open except for Seiya, Yaten and Rei's.  
  
   
  
"What's going on?" Haruka asked half supporting Michiru on her shoulder.  
  
   
  
"If you are Usagi, then who was the girl that was staying with Rei?" Makoto asked the question that she was sure was on everyone's minds.  
  
   
  
After a long explanation of the whole situation and a recap of the events leading them up to where they were now, Kenada ended with an apology. "I'm sorry." He looked down at the ground below his feet, not wanting to make eye contact with any of them. He was too ashamed of what he had done. "I hope you all understand and can someday forgive me, especially you Mamoru." His eyes lifted up to meet with Mamoru's.  
  
   
  
To Kenada's surprise Mamoru's face displayed a smile. "Of course I forgive you. I wish you had said something about it to me, or any of us for that matter. I was feeling the same anxiety but also didn't know how to express it. I'm just sorry that those feelings had to lead to your disappearance for so long."  
  
   
  
"Yeah, we'll always be here for you. No matter what!" Minako chimed in still holding her stomach.  
  
   
  
Kenada's eyes left Mamoru and scanned the group to witness their expressions of happiness. They truly weren't mad at her and it looked as though they understood after all.  
  
   
  
"I must say that I was more than surprised when Seiya found a boyfriend that she liked more than you. Who knew?" Yaten shrugged because for some reason the mood just got to her and put her in a good place.  
  
   
  
Kenada smiled and looked at Seiya standing next to him. His smiled faded just before he was about to speak. With his words his face dropped. "I'm sorry Seiya."  
  
   
  
"For what?" She asked incredulously. If anything, she should be the one who is apologizing.  
  
   
  
Kenada's eyes locked with Seiya's. "I'm sorry because I can't live this lie any more. I'm not Kenada. I'm Usagi. and it's time that I started accepting that responsibility instead of running away from it."  
  
   
  
Seiya smiled a fake smile. "What are you saying?" She asked jokingly but tears were starting to form in her eyes. She knew that if Kenada changed back into Usagi there was no hope of them having a future together. She was to be Queen in the future and beside her on the throne she would need a King and not another Queen.  
  
   
  
Seeing tears in Seiya's eyes after all of this ripped at Kenada's heart more than anything else ever could. He didn't want to do this but it was the only way. "I seem to be sorry for a lot lately. but I'm not sorry for anything more than what I'm about to do." Kenada said just before leaning forward and kissing Seiya. "Goodbye." He said and began to glow.  
  
   
  
The others could see the light reflected through the tears in Seiya's eyes as she said goodbye to Kenada forever. Usagi now stood before the group looking exactly the way they remembered her, but with the saddest expression they had ever seen on her face. "I guess destiny won after all." She said before she turned her back on Seiya and walked away.  
  
   
  
Seiya stared blankly in the direction that Usagi and the other planetary senshi had just walked off in. When they were gone from her sight and she was surrounded only by Yaten and Taiki she fell to her knees and hung her head.  
  
   
  
Yaten looked at Taiki with sympathy in her eyes. There was nothing they could do to ease this pain and they seriously doubted that Seiya would ever heal from this.  
  
   
  
~@~@~@~  
  
   
  
The morning broke through the windows of the small apartment and sprawled itself out on the covers of Usagi's bed. Soon she would give up this apartment, it held too many painful memories that she couldn't bare to live with from day to day. It would have been different if her friend, her love had died, but no, she was still very much alive and Usagi still couldn't be with her.  
  
   
  
With that though Usagi closed her eyes once again trying to succumb to the powerful world of sleep but with no luck. This was something that she had to face today, tomorrow and for the rest of her life. There was no evading it. She pushed the covers off of her and brought her feet down to rest on the wooden floor. She made her way to the bathroom to clean herself up a bit.  
  
   
  
The mirror reflected a face that seemed so alien to her yet so familiar at the same time. "Get used to it Usagi. When you look in the mirror Kenada will not be there." She told herself as she bent her neck down to search for her toothbrush. Next to hers was another toothbrush and a further glance to the side revealed a compact, mascara and other various make up items.  
  
   
  
Usagi paused with the toothbrush in her mouth as she gently fingered the items. Sadness once again struck her and a loss so great that it was almost unimaginable snuck into the deepest depths of her soul. She felt her legs and the rest of her body become weak and knew that she wouldn't be on her feet for much longer. Usagi leaned back and sat on the edge of the tub behind her.  
  
   
  
With her head cradled between her hands and her eyes glued to the floor she didn't notice the presence in the doorway. "Odango?"  
  
   
  
Usagi's head snapped up at the sound of the voice and that name. It was Seiya, she was standing in the doorway just looking at her with confusion. "Did you come for your stuff?" She asked glancing briefly at the conglomeration of makeup on the vanity.  
  
   
  
Seiya looked over at what she was talking about and then back to Usagi. "Yes, I came to get my things. but I also came to see you." Seiya walked over to Usagi to kneel down beside her but before she could Usagi stood up in front of her.  
  
   
  
"Well I guess I'll help you then." She said walking past Seiya and never once looking her directly in the eye. "I'll be leaving here soon too, so I might as well get rid of as much stuff as I can to make the move easier."  
  
   
  
Seiya didn't bother to follow her but just stood in her place. Usagi soon realized that she wasn't behind her and stood still. It seemed like an eternity went by while she was just standing there. The tears welled up in her eyes and before she knew it she was running down the hall towards Seiya.  
  
   
  
Seiya graciously opened her arms to receive her Odango in them. They stood like that for a while with Seiya holding on to Usagi's shaking form and Usagi holding Seiya tighter than she had ever held anything in her life. "Odango."  
  
   
  
"I'm so stupid. I had you with me that entire time and I don't think I ever really appreciated you the way I should have until now when I'm about to lose you. again." Usagi pulled her face away from Seiya's chest and looked up at her face for the first time since she had gotten there.  
  
   
  
"Odango." Seiya's eyes showed the many tears that she had cried over this whole ordeal.  
  
   
  
Each line that was etched in Seiya's beautiful face from the path of a tear was also now etched in Usagi's heart. "I don't care. I don't care how the future turns out. what kind of future would it be if I couldn't be with you?" She asked still adoringly looking into Seiya's eyes. "I want to be with you. no matter what. the whole damn world can fall apart, as long as I have you." Usagi smiled through tears of her own as she stood on her toes to bring her face up close to Seiya's.  
  
   
  
Seiya's sore eyes searched Usagi's face to see if this was real. When she saw the smile on her face and the love in her eyes she knew that it was. Before she could think about it anymore she felt Usagi's lips press firmly against hers. She wasn't about to let her go again and she would try and hold on to this moment for all of eternity.  
  
   
  
The moment had to end sooner or later and when it did neither of them opened their eyes. Usagi placed her head back on Seiya's chest as Seiya's chin rested on top of her head.  
  
   
  
Usagi's head jerked up suddenly in shock as she quickly freed herself from Seiya's hold. "What?" Seiya asked put off by her sudden movement.  
  
   
  
Usagi just stared at Seiya with wide eyes and a smile broke out on her face. Seiya was confused to say the least until he looked down at himself. "What happened?" He said noticing the change in his voice.  
  
   
  
"You'll be happier this way, ne?" Kakyuu said coming up behind him.  
  
   
  
Seiya and Usagi both looked at Kakyuu with amazement. Both nodded their heads in agreement before joining in another embrace.  
  
   
  
"Oh God, you could wait until we leave couldn't you?" Yaten said with his hand on his forehead.  
  
   
  
"What you're male now too?" Seiya asked still dumbfounded.  
  
   
  
"We both are." Taiki said coming up from the open door. "Kakyuu thought we'd be happier this way." He smiled.  
  
   
  
Kakyuu looked at her Starlights. "The only reason that I wanted you to be girls when we came back to Earth was because I wanted to see whether or not your love would survive any obstacle." She said plainly. "I know now that it can and I know now that I could never stand in the way of your hearts again." Kakyuu walked up to Taiki who was still standing near the doorway. "I'm sorry though for causing you pain my Starlight. I'm sorry that you lost Miss Mizuno's heart because of my actions."  
  
   
  
Taiki smiled at Kakyuu to let her know that it was alright. "I'm sure she's happier this way, and I know now that it wasn't really meant to be."  
  
   
  
"Yeah, and if he was with Ami then what would he end up doing about his new obsession with Makoto?" Yaten added in rolling his eyes.  
  
   
  
"But Yaten how come you decided to be a male?" Usagi asked just now really joining the conversation.  
  
   
  
Before Yaten could answer a loud thud was heard on the floor just in front of Taiki. Minako was lying face first on the ground. Yaten went over to help her up. "Sorry guys." She giggled. "I was just too excited."  
  
   
  
"As usual." Yaten said helping her brush off.  
  
   
  
"Oh I see." Usagi said rather sarcastically. The group had a good laugh but for once Yaten didn't get all defensive about the situation and instead looked at Minako with a smile because she was standing there absolutely clueless. 


	11. epilogue part I

Epilogue  
  
The wedding was less than three hours away. This was supposed to be the happiest moment in any girl's life but Usagi seemed far from thrilled. Everyone around her was caught up in the hustle and bustle of the moment that no one truly noticed that she was worrying about something. Everyone that is except Seiya.  
  
"Well it's a stupid tradition. Something is bothering her and I want to know what it is!" Seiya said as Kakyuu helped him with his bowtie.  
  
She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure its just pre-wedding jitters." Once she was done she turned him to face the floor length mirror on the wall, she didn't leave his side. "You know, I always pictured your wedding this way." She said as she continued to stare in the mirror at the image of herself next to Seiya.  
  
Seiya smiled a bit at her comment. Were there really any words he could say to that? No, so he chose to let the moment slide and keep that secret safe between the two of them, where it should stay.  
  
The two didn't notice the door open behind them. Yaten stared curiously at the two gazing in the mirror. He must have been at just the right angle so that his reflection wasn't caught in the mirror. "You two look nice." He said more to get them to acknowledge his presence than to compliment them.  
  
"Oh, Yaten," Kakyuu said snapping out of her fantasy. "I didn't hear you come in." She smiled.  
  
Yaten raised an eyebrow to her and walked towards Seiya. Kakyuu saw the time and realized that she had other things to tend to. "Well good luck!" She said as she held a hand on the doorknob. ".my Starlight." She whispered as she walked through the door.  
  
"Seiya? Are you having second thoughts?" Yaten asked as he saw the sad face on Seiya.  
  
"What? No, why?" He asked ridding himself of his thoughts.  
  
Yaten wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. "You know what I'm talking about."  
  
"That?" Seiya said pointing to the door Kakyuu had just left through. "No, I haven't a doubt in my mind. I love Usagi more than anything in the world, I wouldn't doubt that for a second. I just feel bad for Kakyuu." His tone dropped and caused the mood to grow somber.  
  
Yaten came up in front of Seiya and looked him straight in the eye. "No, there's something else. I can feel it."  
  
Seiya took his glance away and pushed himself away from Yaten. "You and your damn extra sensory perception." He walked over to the table near the sofa and began to pour himself a drink.  
  
"I can't help what I sense. I would love to just shut it off!" Yaten began fuming. "That still doesn't tell me what you're doubting. This of all days you shouldn't doubt anything."  
  
Seiya picked his head up from what he was doing. "There's something wrong with Usagi. Something's come over her lately. She's paranoid all of the time and she's hardly eating." Seiya took a sip of his drink and chuckled a little. "At first I thought she was pregnant."  
  
"What? She's pregnant?" Yaten was astonished. "Ha! I told Minako that Usagi didn't wait!"  
  
"No, she's not pregnant. Wait, why were you two talking about that?" Seiya asked setting his drink aside.  
  
Yaten began to blush furiously but quickly changed the subject. "So anyway, what do you think is wrong with her?"  
  
"I don't know, Kakyuu says its just pre-wedding anxiety but I'm not so sure." Seiya sat on the sofa. "I think she's having second thoughts. What if she doesn't want to marry me?" He asked looking up at Yaten with true concern in his eyes.  
  
Yaten smiled and sat down beside him. "I'm sure that's not it. Do you want me to go and see her to see what I sense?"  
  
"No, if she has something on her mind then I'd rather she told me, but thank you." Seiya smiled just as Taiki entered the room.  
  
"Well I'll be back, I'm just going to see Minako." Yaten waved as he left the room. Yeah right, he wanted to find out what was going through Usagi's head. After all, this was his best friend they were talking about here.  
  
Yaten neared the bridal dressing room and noticed the door ajar just a crack. Voices could be heard inside the room, only two. Yaten leaned in closer to see who Usagi had in the room with her.  
  
"Princess, you knew this day would come." Setsuna said.  
  
"I know but I didn't think it would come so soon. I'm not ready." Usagi trailed off and there wasn't too much excitement in her voice either. "I can't do this."  
  
What? Usagi really didn't want to marry Seiya? Yaten's mind raced with possible conclusions to what her words could have meant. The voices from the room stopped for a bit and Yaten swore he could hear sobs. Was she crying? She was really that upset about the whole thing? He wasn't close enough to her to get a good perception of what she was really thinking.  
  
"It's not good to worry the way you have been, don't think I haven't noticed your poor eating habits or your lack of attention to everything around you." Setsuna seemed to be lecturing her. "Have you said anything to Seiya about it?" She asked with concern and care in her voice.  
  
"No." Usagi choked out. Yaten pushed the door open more so that he could see what was going on, to see the state that Usagi was in and perhaps maybe to get a little closer to sense her thoughts. "I don't want to worry him with this." She said as she brought her head up.  
  
"Usagi!" Setsuna's voice rose. "You don't want to worry him about this? This is just as much a part of him as it is of you."  
  
Yaten was becoming particularly intrigued. He leaned all of his weight on the door that he was holding ajar. "Yaten!" Minako screeched behind him. Yaten was so surprised that he lost all control of what he was doing and fell flat on his face into Usagi's room.  
  
"Yaten?" Usagi questioned drying her eyes and staring at him curiously.  
  
Yaten's face became blushed as his girlfriend stood above him glaring down on him and his best friend's fiancé was looking at him like he was a peeping tom. Yaten waved his fingers in the air to wave an embarrassed hello. "I just came to wish Usagi good luck and to talk to her."  
  
"Well maybe you should do a little more talking than googling." Minako said as she stormed away.  
  
"Great, I'm going to have to deal with that later!" Yaten huffed as he picked himself up off the floor and walked across the room to stand in front of Usagi.  
  
Setsuna smiled at him. "I'll be going, please don't think about it any more. everything will work out."  
  
Once Setsuna was out of the room Usagi sat down on the bed. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" Usagi asked nonchalantly. "Are you having problems with Minako again?"  
  
Yaten rolled his eyes. "Problems with Minako? Trust me, no one could solve any problems with Minako. No, I came here ask how you were." Yaten was well aware that Usagi didn't know about his mental abilities and had no intention of telling her.  
  
"I'm fine." Usagi smiled.  
  
Yaten cast her a sideways glance. "I think it was pretty obvious that I was leaning on the door listening in on your conversation." Usagi looked down and adverted his eyes. "Usagi. please don't do this to Seiya."  
  
"Do what to Seiya?" Usagi's head snapped up. What was he talking about?  
  
Yaten sat down next to her on the bed. "Are you having second thoughts? Do you not want to marry him any more? He told me about your strange behavior lately."  
  
Usagi's eyes started to pool up with fresh tears. Yaten didn't know what to do, was what he was suspecting true after all? He took Usagi into his arms and allowed her to cry into his chest. "Oh Yaten." Usagi cried.  
  
"You have to tell him. you can't just leave him in the dark." Yaten whispered with his chin resting on her head. "I just can't believe it."  
  
Usagi pulled herself away from his body and sat back to look at him with a bit of a smile. "No, it's not what you think." She said as she wiped a few tears away. "I still love Seiya, I love him more that anyone even myself will ever understand." She smiled at Yaten's pleasant reaction.  
  
"That's great!" Yaten said as he beamed a smile at her. His mood soon fell when he realized that there was still a hidden problem at hand. "But if you weren't doubting that. what's wrong?"  
  
"The time for the Earth to freeze over is. today." She said wistfully as she just stared into Yaten's eyes for his reaction.  
  
"Already?" He asked incredulously. Usagi had told them all about the planetary senshi's past, present and future. They all knew this was coming, they just didn't know it was to be today, the day of Usagi and Seiya's wedding. "Obviously you haven't told Seiya." Yaten said with a bit of a smirk on his face.  
  
"What's that for?" Usagi asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That silly smirk on your face." Usagi pointed to him and watched him smirk more in reply.  
  
"Seiya is flipping out in his room right now because he thinks there's something wrong with you. I think he thinks you don't want to marry him any more." Yaten continued with his stupid smirking.  
  
"That's not funny!" Usagi smacked him in the arm. "I have to go and talk to him." Usagi headed for the door. "Shit, they won't let me any where near his room." She turned and faced Yaten but then an evil grin appeared on her face. "But they'll let you in."  
  
"Yeah so." Yaten was confused and frankly a bit scared at the face Usagi was making at him. What was going through her head?  
  
"MOON POWER, Turn me in to Yaten." She yelled. Suddenly the room filled with bright lights and Yaten was soon standing face to face with himself.  
  
"That's incredible!" He said as he looked at his replica. "Man, I am handsome!" He stood and admired himself fixing a couple of out of place hairs.  
  
Usagi swatted his hands away. "Leave me alone!. I'll be back, but until I come back you have to stay here so that people don't get suspicious."  
  
"But what do I tell them when they come looking for YOU?" He asked pointing a finger at 'himself'. Once again an evil grin appeared on Usagi's face as she walked towards Yaten. "OH NO!! I'm not doing that!!"  
  
"Oh come on, it's not like you've never been a girl before!" Usagi said as she began to tackle him.  
  
"AHHHH!!! Get off! Get off!! I'll do it!! Just stop messing up our hair!!" Yaten was fuming as he stood up and immediately resituated himself.  
  
Soon Yaten was transformed into Usagi and not looking too happy about it. "I'll be quick, I promise." Usagi said as she walked out the door.  
  
Usagi passed Minako, Makoto, Rei and Ami on her way to Seiya's room. They must be on their way to her room. She stifled a laugh as she just walked by with a smile and noticed the glare she got from Minako.  
  
Seiya's door opened to reveal him sitting on the sofa staring aimlessly at the wall dressed in his tuxedo. "So how was Minako?" He asked acknowledging Yaten's presence.  
  
"Seiya, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before.I never meant to keep you in the dark." Usagi said sitting down next to him. She took his hand in hers.  
  
Seiya gave her a queer look and quickly took his hand back. "Yaten? What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Usagi looked down at herself and realized her mistake. She began to laugh nervously. "Gomen." She said as she changed herself back to Usagi. "I had to pose as Yaten to get them to let me even NEAR your room."  
  
Seiya got a smile on his face that reached from ear to ear. "I wanted to talk to you but I couldn't come and see you. I cursed that stupid rule."  
  
"I know, Yaten told me." Usagi smiled sweetly at him. "Seiya, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what was bothering me, and I realize now how that may have mislead your thoughts."  
  
Seiya sat and watched her listening intently. "So what is wrong with you?"  
  
"Remember how I told you that before the time of Crystal Tokyo was to come the Earth was to be frozen for a thousand years?" Usagi asked and watched Seiya nod his head that he understood. "Well. Today is the day that it's going to happen."  
  
Seiya's eyes went wide. "WHAT!" He asked. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? We could have gotten married sooner. not on a day like today!"  
  
"I just found out myself about a week ago. Setsuna told me." Usagi looked down. "I didn't want to worry you."  
  
Seiya looked at Usagi with concern. "Usagi, whenever you're upset I'm worried. there's no way around it." It was really a sweet statement even though it might not have been meant to be.  
  
"I know." Usagi said. "Are we OK now?" She asked him looking deep into his eyes.  
  
His sexy smile answer with a yes and she soon found herself in a very passionate kiss. Usagi let herself go into the kiss, it was like a relief of tension and more over it just felt so right. Their kisses became deeper as they became more involved. Seiya broke away much to Usagi's dismay. "We'll be married in a little more than an hour. I think we can wait!" He smiled at her.  
  
"I don't want to wait to do this again for a thousand years!" Usagi pleaded like a child. This only made Seiya grin at her more as Usagi pouted more.  
  
He removed himself from his position on top of her giving her one more quick kiss. "You should go and finish getting ready. besides. where's Yaten?" Seiya asked.  
  
Usagi's face displayed pure horror. "I left him in my room disguised as me!" Usagi jumped up and rushed to the door.  
  
"Odango!" Seiya called after her. "Shouldn't you change?"  
  
Usagi blushed and gave Seiya another kiss just before she changed into Yaten again. "Ja ne!"  
  
The door to Usagi's room opened without so much as a knock. Minako and Rei saw Usagi standing in front of the mirror holding a vase and singing into it. "Well you're certainly in a better mood." Rei said coming up behind her.  
  
Usagi jumped about a mile. Yaten hadn't expected anyone to just walk in on him. "What are you doing?" He asked as he blushed holding the vase behind his back.  
  
"Are you loosing it? You told us to come and meet you at this time." Minako said. She flopped herself down on the bed. "We have to go and get our hair done."  
  
"Oh." Yaten replied as he walked over to the girls nearly tripping over the dress.  
  
"Are you even going to make it down the aisle?" Rei asked snickering at him.  
  
Yaten put his hands on his hips and stared straight at her. "At least I won't be alone! I know she'll probably fall on her ass too!" He said pointing at Minako lying on the bed.  
  
Minako sat up straight. "God Usagi! You're getting to be just as mean as Yaten!"  
  
Yaten immediately stopped pointing. "What are you talking about I. I mean he's not mean to you."  
  
Minako and Rei both raised their eyebrows. "Are you sure you're talking about the same sarcastic bastard we are?" Rei questioned.  
  
Yaten started to inwardly fume. "He's not that way!"  
  
"Usagi why are you defending him so much?" Minako asked.  
  
"Well you're certainly not doing a very good job of it and I guess some one has to!" Yaten yelled with his face turning red with anger.  
  
"Calm down!" Minako said as she stood up next to him. "I didn't say that about him." Yaten did calm down a bit and Minako continued. "I'm just getting so frustrated with him lately."  
  
Rei and Yaten looked at Minako with confusion. "What?" They both asked at the same time. Anyone would have thought that Yaten would get frustrated with Minako first and not vice versa.  
  
Minako looked at both of them and then at Yaten. "I'm just so jealous of you Usagi." Minako began. "I wish that I was as happy as you are right now. I wish I was getting married." Minako started to get little hearts in her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Rei asked Yaten as she noticed him starting to sweat a bit. "Usagi, are you OK?"  
  
"I ummm. uhhhh. ummm." Minako wanted to marry him. He thought he was going to faint. This was too much and he wished that he hadn't heard that. Sure he had thought about what it would be like to marry Minako but that was only thinking. was she proposing the real thing? Yaten became very pale.  
  
"God Usagi what's wrong?" Minako noticed Rei's concern.  
  
The door flew open and Yaten (Usagi) appeared in the door. "What the hell did you do to m. I mean Usagi?" He asked.  
  
Yaten immediately ran to Usagi who still looked like himself and grabbed him by the collar. "You have to help me!" He hissed as he drug her out in the hall.  
  
"Hi girls!" Usagi waved at Rei and Minako before being roughly hauled out in the hallway.  
  
"We are never doing this again and now you owe me BIG TIME!" Yaten yelled as he got his former body back.  
  
Usagi giggled at him with her hand over her mouth. "Was it really that bad?"  
  
"Let's just say that hearing the things that Minako tells you. Makes me scared to be me!" Yaten sighed.  
  
Usagi had to hold herself back from breaking down and laughing right then and there. "Oh so she told you about her plans for tonight?" She mused.  
  
"WHAT!?" Yaten was in complete shock. "NO!"  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
*sighs *. well I guess this is the epilogue part I.. Hopefully there will only be one more part, it just turned out a little longer than I had planned. doesn't it always? This is because Amara asked so nicely and I doubt I would have gotten away alive if Girl8 had gotten a hold of me without doing an epilogue!! 


	12. epilogue part II

Gomen for such a long wait….. I know, I know, I'm not usually this bad. *sighs * Thank you all for reading this far! This is probably my favorite of all my fics, so I hope you enjoyed it and I loved hearing from all of you!! ^_^ Thanks for the great comments and making me finish it! Arigato!!  
  
Epilogue Part II  
  
"What was that all about?" Usagi came back in the room to see Minako and Rei talking.  
  
"Yeah, really. Why was Yaten coming to your room?" Minako asked more than suspiciously while tapping her foot.  
  
Usagi tried to hide her laughter and come up with a feasible excuse. "Well, you see… Seiya sent him here to let me know that he was… um … thinking of me..." Usagi smiled, it really wasn't far from the truth.  
  
"Well let's get going!" Rei jumped up. "We have to go and get our hair done!!"  
  
"Hold your horses, the wedding won't start without me!" Usagi chimed in.  
  
"Oh yeah…?" Rei gave her the sneaky eye. "I'm sure we could find a more beautiful girl to walk down the aisle and marry Seiya."  
  
"WHAT!" Usagi screamed as she saw Rei making supermodel poses and fake primping herself up. "You'd better keep your hands off him!"  
  
"Why? It's not like you're married yet!" Rei teased her back.  
  
"Rei, why do always get her so worked up?" Minako said sweat dropping and coming between the two. Their mini dust fight stopped and the three left to get their hair done with Minako acting as referee the entire time.  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
Usagi stood at the alter on the brink of love and destiny with the anxiety of what was to come. It was inevitable, this was part of the future. To her family she just seemed like any other nervous bride but her friends knew better. Seiya glanced over at his wife to be during the ceremony and actually noticed her smiling. A firm squeeze of her hand and he knew that she was trying not to let it bother her.  
  
"You know, he really does look handsome in his tuxedo." Haruka said as she moved her head to the side to get a better view of the couple. Michiru's eyes went wide in shock and she sat there with her mouth agape. Haruka looked over at Michiru, she had expected some sort of comment about that one and grew concerned when she didn't. She noticed Michiru's expression and let out a small chuckle. "That's not very lady like now is it?"  
  
Setsuna and Mamoru laughed at their friends as they were sitting in the pew behind them. The ceremony was almost over and there had been nothing out of the ordinary.  
  
The words 'man and wife' echoed off of the elaborately ordained walls of the church to resound to even the furthest pews of the row. Usagi and Seiya turned to face one another and Usagi looked up with the sweetest smile. "I love you." She whispered as she brought a hand up to the side of his jaw just below his ear.  
  
Seiya smiled in response, she had finally let her worries escape her mind. "I love you too." He said as the priest looked upon them.  
  
The priest hesitated for a moment taking in the sight of this young couple in love until Yaten cleared his throat. The priest jumped about ten feet and earned himself a good laugh from the bride's maids, especially Minako.  
  
When she looked up from laughing she noticed a light in the window just over Yaten's shoulder. It seemed to be growing brighter and larger. "It's heading right for us….." She whispered in a hushed tone to herself.  
  
Yaten noticed the worried expression on her face and quickly turned to look behind him. He too witness what Minako had been staring at. He turned and looked at Seiya and Usagi who were right in the line of fire.  
  
"You may kiss the bride." The old priest smiled.  
  
Minako and Yaten made a mad dash to Seiya and Usagi whose bodies were drawing nearer to one another. As their lips met the comet like energy crashed through the wall of the church. Yaten threw himself in the air at the same time as Minako in an attempt to knock the couple out of the way.  
  
Time seemed to stop for a split second, Yaten couldn't feel himself falling and had just enough time to look up and into Minako's eyes before his motion resumed again.  
  
Just as the wall of the church had been breached an enormous energy shot out from Seiya and Usagi as they bonded in their sacred kiss. As though a ripple on the smooth surface of water the energy spread from them and across the Earth, time and space shaking everything violently. With the immense energy came a blinding white light to which everyone was forced to shield their eyes from.  
  
Minako and Yaten hit the ground and looked up at what was happening. There, only inches in front of them stood Seiya and Usagi locked in a kiss, their hair was set in motion and their clothing was animated. The guests of the wedding, along with the priest and the senshi were completely awestruck as they witnessed what just happened before their eyes.  
  
When the kiss was broken Seiya and Usagi slowly opened their eyes and looked upon one another. "You're hair." Seiya said picking up a few strands of her now delicate silver hair.  
  
"I know." Usagi replied. She had felt it, the change come over her. She knew the time had come for her to be Queen, but what of the freezing?  
  
Seiya heard a moan from the floor beside him and looked down. "Yaten?" He asked curiously.  
  
"Don't even ask." Yaten mumbled as he got up and headed for Minako. No words were said between the two as they rubbed their now bruised bodies.  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
None of the guests spoke of the incident at the church during the reception. Once the formalities of the introductions were through, all of the senshi met at the head table where they saw Setsuna, Usagi and Seiya smiling while having a conversation.  
  
"This means that you do not have to be Queen until you feel that you are ready." Setsuna smiled.  
  
"I don't know if I'll ever be ready." Usagi looked down and noticed Seiya taking her hand.  
  
"I'll be with you Odango." Usagi smiled at him with gratitude.  
  
"I will tell you this though, you must become Queen before your twenty fourth birthday." Setsuna warned.  
  
"Why? What happens after that?" Usagi asked.  
  
"You start getting old!" Setsuna winked. "Just look at these lines I'm starting to get!" The three shared a laugh and noticed the others approaching the table.  
  
"Um, hello? Does anyone mind explaining to me what the hell just happened back there?" Haruka came up with one hand on her hip and the other around Michiru.  
  
Setsuna smiled. "Oh you mean the fact that you admitted that you thought Seiya was handsome?" She asked slyly.  
  
Haruka blushed, something none of them had ever seen her do. "Um… not quite…" Michiru's giggling brought her back to her original question.  
  
"I always knew you had a soft spot for me Haruka." Seiya teased.  
  
Usagi elbowed him in the side. "You just don't know when to leave well enough alone do you?" She hissed at him while he only smiled in reply.  
  
"Don't push it!" Haruka warned him leaning up a bit, but being pulled back at the same time by Michiru who was still amused at the situation.  
  
"Seriously though," Mamoru cleared his throat. "What happened?" He asked pulling up a chair.  
  
Setsuna set her head in motion and gave a quick look around to make sure no one was listening to them and that there wouldn't be any immediate interruptions. "Today was supposed to be the day that the Earth was to freeze over."  
  
Gasps were heard from the lips of the senshi. "What happened?" Rei asked still covering her mouth with her gloved hand.  
  
"At the exact moment Seiya and Usagi were pronounced 'man and wife' and when they kissed was when the comet was to come and destablelize the Earth. When they met in that consecrated kiss an tremendous energy was released from both the silver crystal and the inner crystal which Fighter holds."  
  
Ami was calculating things in her head and coming to conclusions. "So the power of the union between Usagi and Seiya countered the destructive forced of the comet?" She looked up at Setsuna for understanding.  
  
Setsuna nodded. "Yes."  
  
"So the Earth was saved by the love Seiya and Usagi had for each other?" Makoto asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes," Setsuna replied. "When Usagi and Mamoru married in the alternate timeline, their love wasn't strong enough to face the comet, they both had doubt in their heart and therefore were forced to succumb to the power of the ice."  
  
Taiki stood noticing the DJ coming over to the table. "So what you're saying is that we have nothing to worry about any more? That the Earth will never freeze and the time of Crystal Tokyo doesn't have to begin immediately?"  
  
Setsuna stood and clasped her hands in front of her, more to bring attention to the fact that some one else was approaching them. "Exactly. You all must make the most of the extra time you have been given." She smiled and faced the DJ.  
  
"Excuse me." He staggered up. He was a middle-aged man who appeared to enjoy his profession a little too much. "It is time to toss the bouquet now."  
  
Usagi smiled and left her seat grabbing the fistful of flowers she had been carrying around. "Ready girls?"  
  
"HAI!!" They all cheered and followed her to the floor.  
  
"Why aren't you going out there Michiru?" Mamoru asked as he noticed her still seated next to him. She brought her hand up to reveal a lavish stone on her finger. Mamoru smiled pleased. "Congratulations."  
  
"Thank you." Haruka smiled as tightened her arm around Michiru's waist bringing her closer.  
  
"I don't care if you are a princess, if you get in my way, you're going down!" Minako threatened Kakyuu as they stood behind Usagi waiting for her to launch the bouquet.  
  
"Bring it on!" Kakyuu gave her a pursed lip grin.  
  
"Oh man, I can't believe she got her talking like that too!" Rei commented as she watched the two girls.  
  
"I don't know why you guys are bothering, you already know I'm going to be the next to be married." Ami said sure of herself and polishing her nails.  
  
All of the girls sweat dropped. "Suuuuurrrreeee Ami." Makoto rolled her eyes and the sound of the drum roll peaked her ears. The girls were all in fighting stance and looked like a pack of senshi on a mission!  
  
"3…..2…..1!" The DJ counted down and Usagi released the bouquet high over her head. Through some miraculous chance of fate Minako caught the bouquet without even having to fight tooth and nail to get to it.  
  
"I got it, I got it!!" She jumped up and down in uncontrollable excitement.  
  
Seiya already had a plan as to who the guarder belt was heading towards. With his plan in mind he knelt down in front of Usagi who brought her skirt up to her knee. "Be nice, my father is watching you." She warned him as she saw the evil smirk dance across his face.  
  
"But we're married now, we can do whatever we want." He said as he slid his hand up her leg and over her knee.  
  
"That doesn't include exhibitionism!" She said in a quite whisper as she felt his hand travel up past the top of her stockings.  
  
"Oh really?" He laughed and brought it down to seductively pull her guarder down. Usagi's face was bright red and she didn't quickly recover.  
  
The DJ instructed the single men to make their way to the dance floor. They did so, all except Yaten who sat content in his seat. Seiya spotted him sitting off to the side at a table. "3…..2……1!!" The DJ called out and Yaten noticed the wicked smile on Seiya's face.  
  
Seiya took aim just like a slingshot and flung the garter at Yaten who ended up with it smack dab in his face! As he pulled it off his face Seiya could see the red-hot anger building up until he saw Minako sit on the chair in the middle of the room hiking her skirt up. Seiya pulled him out to Minako and he knelt down in front of her Minako brought her leg up to cross it but in doing so briefly gave Yaten a quick view of her panties.  
  
Yaten's eyebrow was cocked as he looked from the spectacle in front of him up to Minako. "Do you like them?" She asked smiling down. She was wearing Three Lights underwear, well more specifically panties with Yaten's face on the front! Yaten's face went a bit red and everyone just passed it off as the fact he had just gotten flashed.  
  
~@~@~@~  
  
A champaign toast in the moonlight ended the most wonderful night of their lives. "If you had asked me a few years ago if I thought everything was going to work out this way I probably would have thought you were crazy." Usagi giggled lightly after setting her glass down.  
  
"But I wouldn't have it any other way." Seiya said as he too set his glass down and took his wife in his arms. "This is all I ever needed in life."  
  
Usagi looked up at her husband and smiled. All they had been through was worth it just so they could hold one another this way in the moonlight tonight. "Me too." She whispered just before he pulled her close for a long sensuous kiss. 


End file.
